Feels Like Home
by Yellow Butterfly
Summary: Response to GKM Prompt. Kurt finally finds the courage to leave his abusive boyfriend and goes to his best friend for help. A/U, mpreg. Full warnings inside.


Response to the following GKM prompt:

Kurt and Blaine meet during college and quickly become best friends, there are feelings there but through a series of misunderstands they never act on it. Then suddenly Kurt's got a boyfriend going on 2 years and things just don't seem quite right. Blaine suspects that Kurt is being abused; he's jumpier than he used to be when before Kurt loved how tactile he was (something that the boyfriend hates immensely), there are some bruises but Kurt always has some excuse like he tripped or ran into something. They start seeing each other less (Kurt's excuse is work now that college is over but the bf is the real reason) even though Blaine tries often to see him. But when Kurt realizes he's pregnant he finally decides to leave and shows up at Blaine's apartment late at night, having left after a final fight that's left him more obviously beaten up. From there they slowly reveal their feelings over time, it's hard at first for Kurt but he let's him in eventually and they both fall in love with the baby deciding to raise it as their own.

Optional: Another confrontation with Kurt's ex leads to him having a miscarriage, perhaps when Kurt goes to get the rest of his things? After grieving and healing Kurt and Blaine decide they still want a family and get pregnant again.

The ex can be an OC or someone like Adam since they actually dated in canon.

Wants:

- Kurt to have had genuine feelings for his ex, though nothing near as strong as what he feels for Blaine. He tried his best to love him but the ex was never satisfied and knew how Klaine felt about each other even if they never said anything or acted on it.

- The ex to be envious of Kurt and Blaine's close relationship, but even when he accuses Kurt of cheating and becomes abusive nothing happens between Klaine until Kurt leaves. At most there have been a few accidental moments but Kurt always stopped it immediately because he wanted to be faithful.

- Pregnant sex once they get that far in their relationship. Often fueled by Kurt's hormones.

- The whole pregnancy, morning sickness and everything else included with Blaine taking care of Kurt.

- Even though Kurt is the one pregnant I prefer them to switch but that's not necessary.

- If filler prefers Kurt can have a boypussy.

Please no non/dub-con, vore, scat, infantilism, watersports or bugcock.

* * *

**Warnings: drama, mpreg, domestic violence, h/c, dirty talk, Kurt/OMC, Klaine endgame, (not sure if I _need_ to warn for it, but to be safe) switch!Klaine (as requested by OP), minor character deaths, most of all, a happy ending, because everyone needs one**

* * *

Kurt checked his schedule one more time before taking a deep breath and heading into the room in front of him. He stopped short when he saw a boy sitting in the front row. "I didn't expect anyone to be here so early."

The other boy blushed. "I like to take time to relax before class." He stood and held out a hand. "Blaine."

Kurt shook the offered hand and replied, "Kurt. Nice to meet you." The jolt of electricity he felt when he looked into Blaine's eyes left him speechless. 'This isn't a movie, Kurt. That doesn't happen in real life,' he told himself.

Blaine was sure his heart stopped when Kurt's eyes met his. He had never felt anything like it before. He shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts. "Have a seat," he smiled.

Kurt chose the seat to Blaine's right and pulled the bag from his shoulder, placing it on the floor beside him. Both tried to ignore the spark they felt, thinking they had to have imagined it. They made small talk until the rest of the students began to file in.

When the professor dismissed them for the day, Blaine asked, "Hey, Kurt? I was going to grab lunch. Do you...I mean, would you like to join me?"

He felt his heart leap when Kurt smiled and said, "Absolutely."

They went to a little deli on campus. They sat down to eat, chatting animatedly. After several minutes someone approached their table. "Blaine?"

Blaine looked up and his smile grew impossibly wider. "Bas! What are you doing here?" He jumped up and pulled the other man into a hug.

"Same as you, I would guess," he said, motioning toward the table. He smiled at Kurt and held out a hand. "Sebastian Smythe. Nice to meet you."

Kurt smiled and shook his hand. "Kurt Hummel."

Sebastian turned to Blaine. "New boyfriend?"

Blaine blushed. "No. Actually, we just met this morning. We have a class together."

Narrowing his eyes at Blaine, Sebastian said, "Mmhmm. You just seemed really cozy. Sorry for the mix-up." They spoke for a few more minutes until Sebastian excused himself.

"Ignore him," Blaine told Kurt apologetically as Sebastian walked away. "He doesn't understand boundaries."

Kurt chuckled. "It's okay. My brother was the same way."

Blaine laughed. "Brother? He's not my brother."

"Oh. Um, sorry. He was just giving off that overprotective big brother vibe."

With a nod, Blaine said, "Probably because he is an overprotective big brother. Just not mine."

The two sat for another hour before Kurt reluctantly excused himself. "I have class in fifteen minutes. I should get going."

Blaine nodded and said, "Me too. This was fun. We should do it again."

"Yeah. Definitely." When he was sure Blaine couldn't see him, Kurt did a little happy dance.

* * *

Kurt and Blaine quickly became the best of friends. They went to lunch between classes, hung out during the weekends. They were inseparable. Sometimes Sebastian would tag along and tease them about the closeness they shared, both emotionally and physically.

"When are you guys going to give it up and just screw each other?" Sebastian asked Blaine one day.

Blaine looked up from where he was writing his essay, confused. "Excuse me? Who are you talking about?"

"You and Kurt. There's obvious chemistry there. You flirt, you cuddle. Why don't you just take that extra step and go at it?"

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Kurt doesn't feel that way. We're just friends."

Sebastian thought for a minute and Blaine went back to his essay. "So you do feel that way, then?"

"What?" Blaine asked, confused.

"You said Kurt doesn't feel that way. Does that mean you do?"

Blaine shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Nothing's going to happen."

"What if he does feel that way?"

Blaine glared. "Drop it." Sebastian held up his hands in surrender and went back to reading.

A few days later, Sebastian insisted on choosing a place for them to hang out. He called his brother to put his plan in motion. "Hey, Alex. I need a favor."

* * *

Kurt and Blaine were both sure that Sebastian had something up his sleeve, they just didn't know what it was. He had them meet him at a restaurant off campus and when they got there, he introduced his brother. "Kurt, this is my brother, Alex. Alex, this is Kurt. And you remember Blaine."

"Of course. Nice to meet you, Kurt. Good to see you again, Blaine."

When the hostess seated them, Sebastian hurried to sit next to Alex so that Blaine and Kurt were forced to sit beside one another. Blaine, ever the gentleman, pulled Kurt's chair out for him. Kurt smiled and thanked him.

Sebastian kept making comments about Blaine and about Kurt. Alex watched as Kurt and Blaine teased each other about some of the comments and smiled at the obvious camaraderie between them. A few times, he interjected with his own thoughts and thrilled when Kurt would look at him with the same smile that he had been sending Blaine's way.

When Sebastian noticed the shared looks and smiles between his brother and Kurt, he frowned. That was not part of his plan. Then he looked to Blaine and saw that he didn't seem pleased with the looks either. Sebastian gave a tiny smile. 'Maybe a little competition will spur him on.'

After dinner Blaine and Kurt climbed into Kurt's car and followed Sebastian. Blaine laughed when he saw where they were going. It took a few minutes for Kurt to realize that Sebastian had dragged them all to a karaoke bar. He hung back with Sebastian's brother while Sebastian dragged Blaine to the front, spouting a list of songs the two could do along the way. Kurt laughed. "They seem pretty close. I never really asked, how did they meet?"

"High school glee club." When Kurt gave him a look of disbelief, Alex shrugged. "True story. Sebastian was a senior, Blaine was a junior. They used to battle for solos. Friendly competition," he assured Kurt.

Kurt smiled. "Do you sing?"

"No," Alex answered quickly, with a laugh. The two stood chatting for a few minutes until it was time for Blaine and Sebastian to take the stage.

Alex and Kurt stood off to the side, watching with amusement. When Blaine and Sebastian finished, Blaine approached the two. He threw his arms around Kurt's waist and picked him up, twirling him in a circle before putting him back on the ground without letting go. Kurt giggled and said, "That was amazing, Blaine!" He pulled Blaine in for a hug, neither noticing the frown on Alex's face. "I had no idea you could sing like that."

Blaine blushed, suddenly embarrassed. "It wasn't that great," he mumbled.

Sebastian slung an arm around his shoulders. "Not as good as me, for sure," he laughed.

Blaine playfully shoved him. "I don't know why I let you drag me up there."

"Are you kidding me? The crowd loved it! And you did too, judging by the way you rushed over here to celebrate after you were done." Kurt's eyes shone with pride.

Alex motioned for Sebastian to follow him. "Be right back, lovebirds," Sebastian called over his shoulder, causing both boys to blush and laugh. "What's up, bro?"

Alex shot a look toward where Blaine and Kurt stood laughing and talking. "Are those two, you know..."

"Are they...what? Hooking up? Dating? In love? Come on, you gotta give me more than that, Alex."

"Any of those, I guess."

Sebastian grinned. "You like him." Alex tried to brush him off. "You do! Oh my God. Alex!"

"Look, I know how open you are about...everything, but I'm not. I'm not comfortable talking openly about...sex," he finished quietly.

"You're adorable." He threw an arm around his brother's shoulders and leaned close. "Those two," he pointed, "are an enigma. Nobody really knows what they are. I'm not even sure they do. There's something there, but neither will act on it. They're best friends, for sure. I don't think they've ever hooked up. Too much sexual tension between them for it to have already happened," he said thoughtfully.

Alex groaned. "I don't like hanging out with you anymore. You have no filter." He sighed. "So they're kind of a packaged deal, huh?"

Sebastian's eyes darkened. "A guy can hope," he mumbled with a smirk.

Alex elbowed him in the stomach. "Perv." Sebastian laughed. "Is Blaine always so...physical?"

"Hmm? Yeah. Blaine's kind of an octopus, or a koala. I don't know. It's like he can't survive without touching someone."

"And Kurt?"

"Craves affection," Sebastian answered quickly.

Alex nodded. "Thanks."

* * *

Kurt and Alex began to talk regularly. They talked about anything and everything. They went on several dates and soon Kurt realized he was falling in love. While they were on one of their dates, Kurt admitted his feelings to Alex. Alex smiled and said, "Me too." The feelings Kurt had for Blaine were pushed aside when he realized he had someone that was willing to reciprocate his feelings and he convinced himself that Blaine never could.

Blaine and Kurt graduated and started new jobs and Alex continued going to school. Alex was busy with his studies, so Kurt got lonely sometimes. He and Blaine were still the best of friends and they still spent a lot of time together, so he would invite Blaine over to his apartment. They would watch movies, play games, anything they could think of to pass the time the way they always had.

Alex wasn't happy that Kurt still spent so much time with Blaine. "I'm your boyfriend, Kurt. Not him. Why do you spend your free time with him?"

Kurt frowned. "You're always busy. I don't want your grades to suffer because of me. I didn't realize my hanging out with Blaine upsets you so much."

"Well it does," Alex responded petulantly. "I don't like to think of you with anyone else."

Kurt gave a small smile. "I'm not with anyone else, honey. I'm with you. Only you. In fact," he paused while he got up and retrieve a small box from the stand near the door. "I have a little something for you." He handed the box to Alex and watched as Alex opened it.

"Kurt, I...I don't know what to say," Alex whispered.

"You don't have to move in, if you think that it's too soon. I just thought...if you have a key, you could...come over any time you want. Then _you_ could keep me company."

Alex laughed and kissed his boyfriend. "Thank you. Give me a couple days to think about it, but I think I might be okay with moving in."

Kurt grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that." He continued kissing Alex until both were breathless.

* * *

Alex moved in a few days after Kurt gave him a key. He remained busy with schoolwork, so Blaine was still a regular fixture in the apartment. Kurt and Blaine had always been very physical with one another, but it never progressed past hugs or the occasional cuddle. Hands never wandered and they kept their feelings for one another in check.

One night, after a rough day at school, Alex came home to find the boys on the couch impossibly close and twined around one another, fast asleep with the credits to some movie playing on the television. He was furious, but managed to keep himself calm enough to wake Blaine. "Hey," he whispered, "it's late. You should head out. I'll take care of Kurt."

Blaine yawned, but nodded. He gave Alex a tired hug before heading out the door, causing Alex's blood to boil. 'How can he act so innocent when I walk in and find them like that?' he fumed.

He shook Kurt awake. "Alex?" Kurt muttered. He gave a sleepy smile. "Missed you."

Alex scoffed. "I'm sure you did. You looked awfully cozy there with your boy." Kurt looked up at him confused. "What were you and Blaine doing?"

"Watching..." his brow furrowed, "some terrible movie. It was so bad I think we fell asleep."

"I'm sure that's exactly how that went down. Get up." He grabbed Kurt's arm, causing Kurt to wince.

"Alex, what're you doing? You're hurting me."

Alex backhanded him across the face. "Hurting you?" he asked. "What about what you're doing to me? That's cheating, Kurt." Kurt shook his head, only to receive another backhand. At the tears that began to fall from Kurt's eyes, Alex softened. "Oh, Kurt. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Don't cry, please?"

Kurt sniffled. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I won't have Blaine over anymore."

"Oh, Kurt," Alex sighed, brushing his fingers over Kurt's aching cheek. "I'm sorry."

* * *

When Kurt arrived at work the next day, he realized that his attempts to hide the damage were unsuccessful. "Oh my God. Kurt, what happened?" Blaine asked when they met for lunch.

"Um, Alex startled me when he woke me up and I rolled off the couch. My cheek and the coffee table aren't exactly best friends, I guess," he tried to joke.

Blaine frowned. "That's not funny, Kurt. It looks awful. Are you sure you're okay?"

Kurt simply nodded. "I'm going to have to get this to go. I have to get back to the office. Sorry," he shrugged and walked away, breathing a sigh of relief when he was out of earshot.

After that, their meetings became fewer and fewer. Kurt always had an excuse to skip out on Blaine. "Sorry, Blaine. Work is crazy. We'll get together soon," he would say.

Kurt finally got tired of sitting home alone while Alex was doing his rounds or whatever he and his medical school buddies were stuck doing now. He had done as Alex had asked him and, though he was stressed, Alex seemed to be in a better mood, so Kurt thought that it would be okay to have Blaine over.

Kurt and Blaine were cuddled together on the couch, watching Moulin Rouge and singing along. As the movie was ending, Kurt heaved a big sigh, causing Blaine to chuckle. "That sounded ominous. Something bothering you?"

"Have I told you how much I love this?" Kurt asked, looking up. Upon seeing the confused look in Blaine's eyes, he continued. "I love how willing you are to... I mean, you don't have to have a reason to touch people. You just...do. It's nice. Comforting."

Blaine smiled. "I've always been touchy-feely. It comes naturally. You're so receptive to it. I bet Alex loves that."

Kurt pulled away then and sat up. "Yeah. Can I tell you something?" Blaine nodded. Kurt took a deep breath and opened his mouth to tell Blaine everything when his phone buzzed. He looked down and gasped. "It's getting late. You should go now."

Confused, Blaine stood up. "Okay. Um, yeah." Kurt walked him to the door. When Blaine gave him a hug, Kurt tried to hide his sharp intake of breath, but Blaine caught it. "You okay?"

Kurt tried to cover it up with a yawn. "Yeah. Just tired."

Blaine nodded dumbly. "Get some sleep."

* * *

Blaine sat at home the next morning, trying to figure out what was happening with his best friend. He made a phone call. "What's up?" came the answer.

"Hey, Coop. You free? I need to talk."

"Sure. Shoot."

Blaine sighed. "You know how Kurt and I are, right? I mean, we tell each other everything and we hang out all the time." Cooper made an affirmative noise. "Do you think he would hide something from me?"

"What? No way. That kid couldn't lie if his life depended on it," Cooper chuckled. Blaine sighed. "Squirt, you okay?" Cooper asked, seriously.

"No, Coop. I think something is going on with Kurt and Alex."

Cooper frowned. "Like what?"

Blaine sighed again. "He seems to have all these mysterious bruises lately, you know? On his wrists, his back, last night he winced when I hugged him. He says that he fell or that he bumped into whatever, but I don't know. I mean, he's never been clumsy before. Do you think..." he trailed off.

"I think you're overreacting. Alex is a good guy. Maybe, maybe it's just rough sex. _That's _something I think Kurt might keep from you."

"Yeah. Maybe." Blaine frowned, lost in thought. "Thanks, Coop."

* * *

Seeing Kurt standing at the back of the line, Blaine smiled. He approached quietly, wanting to surprise Kurt. He placed his hands over Kurt's eyes and whispered, "Guess who?" in his ear.

"Blaine!" Kurt gasped. "What are you doing here?"

Blaine motioned toward the counter. "Coffee?" he teased.

Kurt nodded and looked at the ground. "Of course. That was a stupid question, huh?"

Blaine frowned at Kurt's reaction, but shook it off and forced a smile. "Do you have time to sit and chat for a few minutes or were you getting yours to go?"

"Um," Kurt looked at his phone, then at the line ahead of them. "Yeah. I have a few."

"Great!" Blaine exclaimed, causing Kurt to flinch. They ordered their drinks and stood quietly while they waited. When they picked up their drinks and found a table, Blaine pulled out Kurt's chair with a smile.

Kurt blushed. "Thanks," he said, sitting and placing his bag beside him.

Blaine sat across from Kurt. "God, Kurt. It's been so long since we've had a chance to do this."

"Work has been..." Kurt sighed when his phone buzzed. He held it up. "See what I mean?" He unlocked the screen to read the message. Blaine thought he saw a flash of fear cross Kurt's face, but as soon as he saw it, it was gone. "I...I have to go," Kurt stammered.

"Is everything okay?"

"Fine," Kurt replied. He stood quickly and picked up his bag, slinging the strap over his shoulder.

Blaine gasped when the movement revealed a sizeable bruise on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt quickly pulled his shirt back into place and turned to leave. Blaine stopped him. "What the hell, Kurt?"

Kurt shrugged. "Here's a tip...don't store heavy stuff on the top shelf," he chuckled humorlessly. "See you later." He left Blaine standing alone and confused.

* * *

"What took you so long?" a quiet voice asked, startling Kurt.

He tried not to let his discomfort show when he responded. "Long line."

"Don't lie to me, Kurt." Alex stood and stalked toward his boyfriend.

"I ran into Blaine. He asked me to sit and talk for a minute." At the glare he was receiving, Kurt quickly added, "But there _was_ a long line. I only talked to Blaine for, like, thirty seconds after we got our coffee."

Alex gave a little half smile and stroked the backs of his fingers down Kurt's face, causing Kurt to flinch. "I thought I told you I don't like you hanging out with him. His intentions with you are less than honorable." As he spoke, he pressed his fingers into the bruise on Kurt's shoulder.

"We're just friends, Alex," he grimaced. "I love you. I'd never cheat on you." Alex's frown turned into a genuine smile and he loosened his grip, placing a gentle kiss on Kurt's lips. "Besides, Blaine doesn't have feelings for me. He's just really flirty with everybody."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Of course not," Kurt replied obediently. "I'm sorry."

Alex kissed Kurt once more before slapping him playfully on the rear end and saying, "Good boy. Now go make me dinner."

* * *

"You don't get it, Cooper. He's not the same Kurt. Something's going on." Cooper frowned and started to protest. "And the bruise. There's no way he just...dropped something like he's insinuating."

Cooper stopped him from pacing. "Blaine, I'm sure he's fine."

"What about all the other times I've seen bruises and he's made up excuses?"

"I'm sure they weren't excuses. You guys are best friends. He would have told you if something were wrong. Kurt's strong, he wouldn't stick around if Alex hurt him."

Blaine sighed. "Yeah. You're probably right." He couldn't stop thinking about Kurt's behavior, though. Sure it had been a while since they had time to get together, and Kurt had changed since he and Alex had started dating a year and a half ago, but it was unusual for Kurt to leave without a hug.

* * *

Kurt took a deep breath as he heard Alex enter the apartment. He braced himself and plastered a smile on his face. "Hey, honey. Welcome home," he greeted his boyfriend with a kiss.

Alex gave a heartfelt smile. "Mmm, not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

"Can't I just greet my boyfriend whenever I want?" he asked, leading Alex to the couch and sitting down.

"You sure can." Alex attacked Kurt's lips and then his neck, making Kurt giggle and moan until he was breathless. "You're up kind of late, aren't you?"

"I have something I need to tell you," Kurt sighed happily. Alex nuzzled Kurt's neck once more, waiting for Kurt to continue. "I'm pregnant." When there was no response, Kurt whispered, "Alex."

Alex's whole demeanor changed. "Is it even mine?" he growled.

Kurt gulped at Alex's sudden anger. "Of course," he stuttered.

Alex grabbed Kurt by the throat and held him against the arm of the couch. "You expect me to believe that? With the way you and Blaine are always all over each other?"

Kurt's eyes were wide, fearful. "I haven't seen Blaine in months," he gasped, trying to catch his breath and realizing that that statement was probably not the right one in that moment. "Alex, please," he begged and Alex loosened his grip slightly. "I'm sorry. I know we weren't planning to start a family yet, but...but life's what happens when you're busy making other plans, right?" he said, trying to lighten the mood by quoting one of Alex's favorite songs.

It seemed to work. Alex sat back, but still glared. "We used condoms."

Kurt shrugged. "They're not a hundred percent effective. You know that. Besides, we had one break a month or so ago, remember?"

"I pulled out," Alex said lamely.

Rolling his eyes, Kurt said, "I'm not going to argue the medical aspects of this with you Alex. You're a med student. You know these things better than I do." He tried to suppress his yawn, but failed. "Look, I'm exhausted. Can we discuss it in the morning?"

The dark look crossed Alex's features once more. "No, we can't. We're going to discuss it now." He pulled Kurt up off the couch and shoved him toward the kitchen.

"I...I kept dinner warm for you," Kurt said, hoping it would calm Alex some.

* * *

Blaine awoke to someone pounding on his door. "I'm coming," he grumbled. "You're going to wake the whole..." he trailed off when he opened the door to see Kurt's tear-stained face. The sight was like ice water, instantly removing the final bits of sleep. "Oh my God. Kurt, what's wrong? Come in." That was when he noticed the bruises slowly forming on Kurt's cheek and neck, the split lip, and the tremble of Kurt's hands.

"I'm sorry," Kurt whispered.

Blaine shushed him. "No, Kurt. You don't have anything to be sorry for."

Kurt shook his head. "I do. I should have told you sooner, shouldn't have kept it from you. If I had said something, it wouldn't have gotten this far. I realize that now." He placed a hand over his still flat belly. "I don't have anywhere else to go, Blaine," he whispered. "It's not just me now. I need to protect her."

"H...her?" Blaine asked.

Kurt blushed and gave a small smile. "Just a little bit of wishful thinking. I've always wanted a girl."

Blaine smiled. "So you've said. You have to stay away from him if you want to keep her safe." Kurt nodded. "You can stay here as long as you need. We can get your stuff tomorrow. And Kurt...you need to report him." Kurt's smile disappeared, but he nodded.

* * *

"Do you want me to go in with you?" Blaine asked quietly.

Kurt shook his head. "I'll be fine. I don't think he's home, so I'll go grab my stuff and get out before he gets back. Then we can head over to the police station." Blaine nodded and watched him go, anxiety settling in his stomach. Kurt hurried into the apartment building and up the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator to only go up one floor.

He took a deep breath and unlocked the door to the apartment. Before he knew what was happening, he felt his back hit the wall. His vision blurred for a second as he slid to the floor. When it cleared, he saw Alex standing over him. "Where did you go? Did you run to _him_?"

"I..." he was cut off by a boot to his ribs. "Please, don't," he begged, curling in on himself, trying to protect his child.

Blaine looked at his watch. What was taking Kurt so long? He climbed out of the car and walked into the building, feeling uneasy. As the elevator doors opened, he heard Kurt groan and rushed through the open door of the apartment.

A single tear slipped down Kurt's cheek as he whispered, "I love you, Alex," before blacking out.

Blaine rushed to Kurt's side. "Kurt?! Kurt! Why would you do this to him?!" he rounded on Alex. "He was nothing but faithful to you. He let you take over his life and this is how you repay him?" He knelt down to fuss over Kurt. "Hang on, Kurt. I'm here. It'll be okay." He muttered any words that came to mind, praying things would be alright.

* * *

If anyone asked him later, Blaine wouldn't remember what happened next. He worked on autopilot, making phone calls and relaying information to the people on the other end of the line. The next thing he could recall clearly was sitting in the awful hospital waiting room, looking up every time he heard footsteps.

He felt like he couldn't take it anymore and pulled his phone from his pocket to send a quick text.

Sebastian groaned and rolled over in bed, searching for his phone. "Of course, on the one day I get to sleep in," he sighed. 'I need you,' he read. He looked at the time and dialed Blaine's number as he flopped back onto his pillows. When Blaine answered, Sebastian chuckled and asked, "Are you drunk? It's only ten."

"I'm at the hospital."

Sebastian bolted upright. "You're where?" he asked, hoping he'd heard wrong. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"It's not me. I'm here with Kurt. He...Alex," Blaine let out a sob.

Sebastian's mind was racing. "What happened to Alex? Is he okay? I'm on my way." He jumped out of bed, throwing on his clothes and rushing out the door without giving Blaine a chance to respond.

Blaine took a deep breath, wiped at his tears and headed outside to meet Sebastian, stopping along the way to let the nurse on duty know where he would be in case there was any news on Kurt. Within a few minutes he saw Sebastian running toward him.

"Where is he? Where's my brother?" Sebastian asked frantically. Blaine opened his mouth, but Sebastian cut him off. "Where's Alex?"

"Jail, I hope," Blaine muttered. "I told you I was here with Kurt," he said angrily.

Confused, Sebastian forced himself to calm down and he looked Blaine in the eyes. "I don't understand. What happened?"

Blaine glared at his friend. "I'll tell you what happened," he spat. "Your beloved brother has been abusing Kurt for who knows how long and today he nearly killed him."

"He what?! No, that can't be right. Alex isn't...he's...Alex wouldn't do something like that. You must be mistaken. It had to be someone else." Sebastian was frantic. Sure, Alex had a temper, their whole family did, but he couldn't believe his baby brother could hurt anyone, especially Kurt.

"I saw him, Bas. If I hadn't walked in when I did, who knows what would have happened. I need to get back and check on Kurt." Blaine turned and went back inside with Sebastian following.

As they were approaching the waiting room, a doctor entered. She looked up and asked, "Are you here for Kurt Hummel?" Blaine nodded. "He's stable," she assured. "He has a few broken ribs and a broken wrist along with a mild concussion." Blaine breathed a sigh of relief. Shocked at what he was hearing, Sebastian lowered himself into a nearby chair, trying to comprehend. "He and the baby will be monitored closely for the next couple of days to be sure we haven't missed anything, but if everything checks out, he'll be home by Monday."

"Thank you," Blaine said quietly. He asked a few questions and thanked the doctor again before she left.

"Baby?" Sebastian asked as the doctor walked away. Blaine nodded. "How...when..." he trailed off, hoping Blaine would understand.

Blaine sat down. "He just found out. When he told Alex, he hit him. Thought Kurt cheated on him. So Kurt came to me. I took him back this morning to get some of his things and Kurt was sure Alex wasn't home. He said he wanted to go up alone. I should have known better." After a few minutes of silence, Blaine stood and held his hand out to pull Sebastian up. "Let's go see him." Sebastian nodded and took Blaine's hand, allowing himself to be pulled along.

Blaine peeked into the room where Kurt lay. Kurt was sleeping as the doctor had said. He dropped Sebastian's hand as he opened the door and walked in. Sebastian followed quietly, but let out a loud gasp when he saw Kurt's condition.

They sat down and got lost in their own thoughts for a while. Finally Sebastian spoke. "You know, none of this would have happened if you guys weren't so oblivious," he muttered.

"What are you talking about? You're the one that set Kurt up with him."

Sebastian shook his head. "That's what I'm talking about. Neither of you realized that that night was not about Kurt and Alex. Alex was supposed to be there to keep me company while the two of you hooked up. They weren't supposed to fall for each other. It was supposed to be you. You'd never hurt him like this."

He stopped when they heard a groan from the bed. "Kurt?" Blaine asked quietly. Another groan. "Kurt, I'm right here. You're okay." Kurt slowly opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings and trying to figure out where he was. "You're at the hospital. Sebastian and I are here."

"Alex?" Kurt whispered.

"The police took him in. They'll be coming to talk to you now that you're up. They already took my statement, but they need yours." Kurt closed his eyes and a tear slipped down the side of his face. "Shh, it's okay. You're okay," Blaine murmured, brushing a strand of hair off of Kurt's forehead.

"I wanted the baby," Kurt murmured. "As awful as he was to me, I love him. And I loved the baby." He let out a loud sob.

Blaine moved to sit beside Kurt and awkwardly pulled Kurt into his arms, hoping to offer comfort. "The baby's okay, Kurt. She's okay," he whispered. "The doctor said the baby's safe. You protected her."

"Really?" Blaine nodded. Kurt breathed a sigh of relief. "I..." His face crumpled. "Why do I still love him?" he sobbed.

Blaine whispered, "You can't help who you love. You meet someone and your heart just knows and...and you can't fight it." He held Kurt until he cried himself to sleep, then gently laid him back against his pillow.

"You should follow your own advice, you know," Sebastian muttered. "You shouldn't fight what your heart knows is right." Blaine nodded as he watched Kurt sleep. After a few minutes of silence, he looked up at Sebastian, looking terrified. "What's wrong?" Sebastian asked, worried.

"I'm in love with him," Blaine gasped. "Like really, truly in love."

Sebastian couldn't help himself. He let out a loud laugh. "You really are that oblivious." He stood and pulled Blaine into his arms. "You've been in love from the moment your eyes met, B. I can't believe it took you three years to realize it."

* * *

As the doctor had said, Kurt was released two days later. He had given his statement to the police officers and had been assured that it would be safe for him to return to his apartment. "I don't want to go back," he told Blaine after the officers were gone.

"It's okay. I told you that you're welcome at my place for as long as you need. You _do_ need to go back and get your clothes, at least." Kurt nodded. They went to the apartment and Blaine followed Kurt, helping him pack anything he wanted to take along. "You're awfully quiet. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing really. Just tired." As if to prove his point, a large yawn escaped, causing Kurt to wince a little at the pain it created in his ribs. "That's good for now. Can we go?"

Blaine nodded. "Whatever you want," he promised.

He got Kurt and his things into the car and headed for his own apartment. He turned the radio down so Kurt could relax and hummed along as he drove. He looked over to Kurt every once in a while to make sure he was alright. When he stopped humming to check on Kurt once more, Kurt mumbled, "Why'd you stop? I like that song." He opened his eyes and smiled up at Blaine.

"I thought you were asleep." Blaine smiled back and found himself getting lost in Kurt's eyes. After a few seconds, he was interrupted by a car horn blaring and realized the light had turned green. He blushed and turned his attention back to the road. "You know, I haven't heard you sing for a while."

"That's because I haven't. Alex didn't approve." He snorted. "There were a lot of things Alex didn't approve of. He...oh my God, Blaine, pull over." Blaine was confused but pulled the car to the side of the road at Kurt's insistent plea. Blaine wasn't sure how Kurt moved so quickly with the pain he was in, but he seemed to jump out of the car and fall to his knees on the ground.

Blaine ran to Kurt's side and dropped to his knees beside him when he realized what was wrong. "Oh, Kurt," he whispered, rubbing soothing circles on Kurt's back as he emptied his stomach. He sat there while Kurt heaved and then sobbed at the pain that it caused. When nothing else seemed to be coming up, Blaine let himself leave Kurt's side for a few seconds. When he returned, he had a bottle of water in his hand. "Here, take a sip."

Kurt accepted the water bottle and did as Blaine said. "I'm sorry," he cried. "I'm such a mess."

"Don't apologize. It's normal. I hear morning sickness is a sign of a healthy baby." Kurt looked at him skeptically. "Not sure how true that is, though," he admitted with a shrug, causing Kurt to chuckle. "You think you can handle the rest of the ride?" Kurt nodded and Blaine helped him back into the car.

When they got to Blaine's apartment, he helped Kurt inside and took him to the guest bedroom. "You can lay down while I bring everything in." Kurt nodded and carefully sunk into the bed with a sigh. Unable to stop himself, Blaine leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Kurt's temple. "I'll be right back," he promised.

* * *

Kurt woke up later in a panic. He looked around, recognizing Blaine's guestroom immediately and let out a sigh. As he sat up, he hissed at the pain in his ribs. There was a soft knock on the door before Blaine walked in.

"Hey," he said quietly. "You up for some lunch?" Kurt nodded and Blaine smiled. "Good. I made your favorite."

Kurt followed Blaine into the kitchen and smiled when he saw Blaine's work. His smile disappeared when the smell reached his nose, causing him to bolt toward the bathroom. He heard footsteps, then water running. "I'm sorry," he groaned when Blaine knelt down beside him and placed a cool washcloth across the back of his neck.

Blaine smiled. "I told you that you don't have to apologize."

"You don't have to do this. I can handle it on my own," he grumbled.

"I don't want you to. I want to help. However I can." Someone pounded on the front door, making Kurt jump. "Shh, you're okay. You're safe here. It's probably just Sebastian. Or Cooper. He's fairly tactless," he mumbled.

Blaine went to the door and peeked outside. "Come on, Blainey! Open up!" Cooper was yelling.

"Shut up," Blaine grumbled as he opened the door. "Can you _please_ stop yelling? You scared the crap out of Kurt. It's been a rough couple of days. I don't need him getting spooked and taking off to God knows where." Cooper gave him a strange look and he realized he hadn't told his brother what was going on. He glanced back over his shoulder before stepping out into the hallway to talk to Cooper. "Alex assaulted him, been doing so for a while, but a couple days ago was the final straw. Kurt left him, thank God. So he's here. So, if you could please, _please_ try not to scare him. He's really jumpy." Cooper nodded and followed Blaine back inside.

"Blaine?" he heard Kurt whimper. He hurried to the bathroom to see Kurt where he'd left him. "I can't get myself up," he blushed.

Blaine managed to get Kurt off the floor with just one small cry from Kurt. "I'm sorry."

Kurt shook his head. "It's okay," he hissed through clenched teeth. "Not your fault."

"Let's get you settled in for lunch, okay?" Kurt nodded. "Cooper's here. You remember Coop, right?"

Kurt thought for a second before nodding. "How could I forget? The famous Cooper Anderson," he teased, causing Blaine to roll his eyes. Cooper greeted him as he made his way to the kitchen and Kurt could see the tension in his jaw. "It's okay, Cooper. You don't have to pretend nothing's wrong. I know I look like hell."

"I should have listened to Blainey. He knew something wasn't right and I told him it was probably nothing."

"Don't. It's too late for what ifs. It happened and it's over. It won't happen again." He sat, thankful that Blaine had relatively comfortable chairs at his kitchen table. "You were right," he laughed. "Comfort over style _was_ the right choice for once." Blaine stuck his tongue out. "You're such a child," Kurt teased.

Blaine could tell Kurt wasn't entirely comfortable, but he was glad that he was in a good enough mood to joke. He wasn't sure how long it would take for Kurt to heal, both physically and emotionally, but he could tell that he was already on his way.

* * *

A week later found Blaine on the telephone with his boss. "I _know_ I've used up my vacation, but I can't just leave him alone. Isn't there work that I can do from home?"

"I'm sorry, Blaine, but there really isn't," his boss replied.

Blaine sighed. "Okay. I'll be in tomorrow," he said, defeated.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked quietly. "You don't have to stay with me all the time. I'm getting around better now. I can handle being alone."

"You're sure?" Kurt nodded. "Okay, but if you need anything, you call me or Se...someone else."

Kurt caught the slip. "You know, I don't have a problem with Sebastian. This wasn't his fault. I've been talking to him the last couple days. He offered to come keep me company while you're at work. I said I'd let him know. If you're okay with it, I'll let him know."

Blaine frowned. "Of course I'm okay with it. Why wouldn't I be? I don't want you to be alone in case you need help."

Kurt shrugged. "Alex hated people coming over when he wasn't home. Correction, he hated _you_ coming over."

Something clicked in Blaine's mind. "He knew. Even before I did."

"What?"

Blaine realized he had said that out loud. "Nothing. I'll be right back." He rushed to his bedroom and closed the door, dialing Sebastian's number. Before Sebastian could say anything, Blaine said, "He knew. He knew, Bas, and I think I'm the reason he did this."

"What the hell are you rambling about?" Sebastian asked sleepily.

"Alex. He knew how I felt about Kurt."

Sebastian scoffed. "Of course he did. Everybody knew how you two felt about each other. Everybody except the two of you, that is."

"I'm the reason he assaulted Kurt, Bas," Blaine whispered.

"You're wrong, B. Alex has to take responsibility for his own misdeeds. He couldn't see past his own jealousy to realize that Kurt loved him. That's not your fault. He was nothing but faithful to my brother. We both know that. You didn't act on any feelings you may have had, so there was no reason for Alex to even be angry."

Blaine shook his head, even though Sebastian couldn't see him. "Every bruise, every time was after Kurt hung out with me."

"Listen to yourself. You're crazy. Kurt had a choice, B. He may have loved my brother and been completely faithful, but he chose to keep you in his life."

Blaine's eyes narrowed in anger and he wanted to jump through the phone. "Are you saying he _wanted_ Alex to hurt him?"

"What? No! God, Blaine, no. I...I don't know what I'm saying. You woke me up, asshole, what do you expect?" He took a deep breath and tried to explain himself. "Alex is the one in the wrong here. Nobody is to blame but him. If Kurt felt like it was your fault, he would have cut you out of his life."

Blaine relaxed some. "You think so?"

"I know so. Can I go back to sleep now?" he groaned.

"Yeah. Wait...what about work?"

Sebastian yawned. "I don't have any appointments so I'm working from home. Which is why I offered my services to your boy."

"He's not my..." Blaine was cut off by Sebastian hanging up on him.

* * *

The next day Blaine went back to work and Sebastian gathered up his work and headed to Blaine's apartment. "There's not much that's priority at the moment, but there is one thing I have to get done, so if you can keep yourself entertained for, like, an hour? I mean, I'll be here if you need anything, but I'm not going to be much company until then."

Kurt nodded. "That's fine." He sat quietly at the opposite end of the couch from where Sebastian sat. He started out reading the newspaper, but quickly got bored. He got up and made his way over to Blaine's bookcase, hoping to find something fun to read. He grabbed a book and sat back down, but his attention kept drifting to Sebastian and then the clock. After an hour and a half, Kurt sighed. "You know, you could have stayed home until that was done. I would have been fine on my own."

Sebastian looked up from his work. "No, it's fine. Ten more minutes, okay?"

Kurt tried to turn his attention back to his book, but he had never been one for silence. He closed the book and looked over at Sebastian. "You know you're going to be an uncle, right?"

Without looking up, Sebastian responded, "Yeah. Found out when you were in the hospital."

"Right," Kurt sighed. After a few minutes, he asked, "Are you excited?"

"I guess so. I don't really like kids that much, but, hey, it's not like it's mine." A few more minutes of silence passed before Kurt started to ask another question. Frustrated, Sebastian snapped at him. "Look, I know you're bored, or whatever, but I'm busy right now. Just stop."

Tears sprang to Kurt's eyes at the outburst, but he ducked his head and muttered an apology, not wanting to anger Sebastian further. He had never seen Sebastian angry, but Kurt knew Alex's wrath all too well. His mind flashed back to his different encounters with an angry Alex and he let out a small whimper.

"You okay, Kurt?" Sebastian asked quietly. When he didn't get a response, he spoke a little louder, "Kurt? Kurt!" He placed a gentle hand on Kurt's arm to get his attention, only for Kurt to pull away.

"I'm sorry. Please, I'm so sorry," Kurt sobbed, refusing to look up. He tried to curl in on himself, resulting in a sharp pain from his ribs and causing more tears.

Sebastian moved quickly to kneel in front of Kurt. "Look at me. C'mon, Kurt, look at me," he pleaded softly. When Kurt started to lift his head, Sebastian cooed, "That's good. Come on. You're safe. Alex isn't here and I'm not going to hurt you."

Kurt looked into Sebastian's green eyes. 'Green,' he thought, 'not blue. Not Alex.' With that thought, his mind slowly calmed and his eyes refocused. His breathing hitched as he spoke, "Se...Sebastian? I'm sorry. Maybe, maybe you should go home."

Sebastian shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm sorry I snapped at you. Look, I'll stop for now. I can finish the rest after I leave here. We can do whatever you want." He moved to sit beside Kurt and pulled him to lean against his side. He ran his fingers through Kurt's hair, hoping to soothe him. "Just sit here for a minute and relax. Then you can tell me what you want to do."

Both sat, lost in their thoughts. After several minutes, Kurt finally spoke. "Can you take me to see him?" Sebastian looked at him with questioning eyes. "To see Alex. I need to see him."

"If this is some kind of...of...if you're thinking of forgiving and forgetting, then you can forget about it. I'm not letting you go back to him."

This time, Kurt didn't shrink back. He stood his ground. "I need to see him, Sebastian. I can't move on without a clean break. And I feel like," he sighed, "like without the words having been spoken, I'm stuck with him. I need to see him and let him know it's over for good."

"I'm not sure it's a good idea to go, Kurt."

"Look, I know Blaine won't take me. So, if you won't take me, then... Then I guess I'll just have to find a way myself," he said defiantly.

Sebastian's mind was racing. He couldn't let Kurt go alone. "Fine," he relented. "Let's go."

Kurt blushed. "Um, I need a shower first." Sebastian gave him a questioning look and he held up his broken wrist. "I need help."

"Whoa, whoa." Sebastian moved away. "You don't expect me to bathe you."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "No, but my cast can't get wet. I need you to put a plastic bag or something over it for me since I can't. And...and help me with my shirt," he finished with a mumble.

"I have to undress you?!"

"Quit being such a child. It's not like you haven't undressed dozens of men. It's just my shirt. You can even close your eyes if you want." He thought for a second of the injuries he had sustained. "In fact, I think I'd prefer that you close your eyes."

With a glare, Sebastian gave a deep, exaggerated bow and said, "Yes your majesty." He motioned for Kurt to lead the way and said, "Let's get this over with."

Sebastian secured a bag over Kurt's cast and closed his eyes as Kurt had requested. Unfortunately, Kurt's shirt got stuck on his cast and Sebastian had to open his eyes. He was greeted by an angry purple bruise down Kurt's left side. Kurt noticed that Sebastian was staring and tried to cover up. "Yeah, broken ribs don't just heal magically. It'll probably look like that for a while."

"How could he do something like that?"

Kurt shrugged. "Anger issues, I guess. Can I get some help here?" He held out his arm and Sebastian managed to untangle his shirt from his cast. Sebastian couldn't tear his eyes away from the marred flesh, angry and sad at the damage his brother had caused. Kurt frowned and gave him a small shove. "Get out." To lighten the mood a little, he added, "You don't want to watch me shower. It's not that entertaining." Then he shut and locked the door.

Sebastian made his way back to the living room and sat down heavily. He didn't understand how Kurt could be so flippant about everything when not ten minutes before he had been a sobbing mess. One thing he knew for sure was that he wasn't going to let his brother get away with what he had done. Their parents had bailed both of the boys out of trouble too many times in the past and he wasn't going to let that happen after seeing what Alex had done to Kurt.

* * *

Kurt sat, waiting for the guard to bring Alex to him. When Alex saw him, he smiled and said, "Kurt! I'm so glad you're here. Tell these morons that it's all a misunderstanding. I tried calling, but I didn't get an answer."

"There's a reason for that. There's no misunderstanding, Alex. You hurt me."

"Come on, Kurt. I was angry. You know how I get. Sometimes I just can't help it. Besides, it wasn't that bad. Just a little split lip, right?" He reached out to touch Kurt's face, but Kurt backed away.

Kurt wasn't afraid anymore. He was angry. "Just a split lip?" He put his broken wrist on the table. "What do you call this? Or this?" He lifted his shirt to show the bruise on his ribs. "I know you weren't ready to start a family, but that's okay."

Alex's gaze swept to Kurt's belly. "Is it gone?"

Kurt sneered and spat, "No. I kept her safe. I sacrificed my wellbeing to keep her safe. That's what you do for your child. And I will continue to do so for the rest of her life. Without you. We're through, Alex."

He stood to leave, but Alex jumped up and got in his face before a guard could stop him. "This isn't over." The guard pulled him away. "My parents will see to that. It's not over."

Kurt kept a brave face as he walked back out to Sebastian, but as soon as they were in the car, he let out a sob. Startled, Sebastian asked, "Are you okay? What happened?"

"It's over," Kurt whispered. "He jumped up in my face when I got up to leave and I thought, 'this is it, he's going to kill me.' But it's over now."

"Did he hurt you? Where were the guards?" Sebastian demanded.

Kurt shook his head. "I'm fine. The guard stopped him almost as soon as he jumped up. It just scared the living hell out of me, but I'm fine." It was quiet most of the ride back to the apartment. When they were almost back, Kurt asked, "How powerful are your parents?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"He said...he said your parents will make sure this isn't over. What did he mean?"

Sebastian pulled over to the side of the road and put the car in park. He turned in his seat to look at Kurt. "Our parents have bailed both of us out of trouble more than a few times. It's never been anything serious, not like this. Mostly stupid teenage stuff. He thinks that they'll work out a deal for him or something, I guess. But, Kurt. I won't let that happen. This isn't some minor offense, like graffiti or knocking off a mailbox. He's not going to get away with this. I promise you that."

When they got back to the apartment, Blaine was home. "What are you doing here?" Kurt asked, surprised.

"I live here?" Blaine teased. "Don't worry, I didn't take off work. I just thought I'd come home for lunch and see how things were going. Where were you guys?"

"Sebastian took me to see Alex."

Blaine's face clouded with anger. "He what? How could you do that to him?" he asked, rounding on Sebastian.

Kurt stopped him. "I asked him to." He explained everything, but Blaine was still not happy. "It needed to be done, Blaine. I can't live my life in limbo. I just want to move on and try to be happy again."

After a few tense moments, Blaine nodded. "You're right. I just worry about you, Kurt. So much."

"I know, but I'm a big boy, now. I can handle things on my own." He stepped closer to Blaine. "I love," Blaine held his breath, "that you want to be my hero, my knight in shining armor, but I need to do this myself." He placed a kiss on Blaine's cheek and stepped back. "And you need to get back to work."

Blaine exhaled and nodded. "Yeah. I do."

Sebastian, who had been watching the exchange silently, finally spoke as the door closed behind Blaine. "Are you finally giving in? I mean, the two of you have pussyfooted around for three years now. Is that why you had to go break it off with Alex?"

Kurt looked at him, confused. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about."

Sebastian sighed. "I thought Blaine was the dense one. Look, I know how you feel about Blaine."

Kurt blushed. "I have no clue what you mean," he stammered.

"Of course not," Sebastian mumbled, dropping the subject when he sensed Kurt's discomfort. "Sorry."

* * *

Sebastian left before Blaine got home that evening. "Kurt, Bas! I'm home!" Blaine announced, kicking off his shoes. He made his way into the living room and frowned when he found it empty. "Kurt?" he called. When he didn't find Kurt in the guest room, he figured Sebastian must have taken Kurt somewhere again, so he went to his bedroom to change. When he walked through the doorway, he stopped in his tracks. Lying in the middle of his bed was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Kurt looked perfectly peaceful for the first time in days.

Blaine turned to walk out, but stopped and turned around when he heard a sleepily mumbled, "Blaine?" Kurt sat up and yawned. "Hey. Sorry," he said sheepishly.

Shaking his head, Blaine said, "No need to be sorry."

"Sebastian was working on something and I wanted to watch tv and there's not one in the guest room..."

Blaine laughed. "It's really okay, Kurt. You don't have to explain yourself to me."

Kurt let out a quiet sigh as he pushed himself off the bed. He had been so comfortable lying there. He looked at the time. "Dinner should be almost ready. I wanted it to be ready when you got home, but since I fell asleep I didn't get the finishing touches on it yet."

"You don't have to do that."

"It kept me busy and you know I love to cook," Kurt shrugged. "It's not like I can do much else yet." He smiled. "Plus it's a way for me to repay you for letting me stay."

Blaine shrugged and nodded, knowing better than to try to argue. "I didn't smell anything when I came in."

Kurt blushed. "I didn't want to get sick from a strong smell. It'll taste good though, I promise."

They were quiet while they ate. About halfway through the meal, Blaine said, "So, you haven't really mentioned work. What's going on with that?"

Kurt shrugged. "Nothing." When Blaine tried to inquire further, Kurt put down his fork and said, "Alex made me quit. Three months ago. He didn't want me to see you and he figured if I wasn't working, we wouldn't set up lunch dates. He said he would take care of me and if I really wanted to work, I should start my own company and work from home. I've been working on it, but haven't had any luck yet. Is this your way of asking me to pay for staying here?"

Blaine's eyes went wide. "No. Not at all. I was curious. Trying to make small talk, I guess. I'm sorry. Don't worry about money while you're here. I've got it covered."

"Right, because like the Smythes your family has money that you live off of. I forgot," Kurt snapped.

Blaine forced himself to control his voice so he wouldn't upset Kurt, but Kurt could see the tension in his jaw. "No. Because I have a _job_ that pays me money that I live off of. Don't you think that if I was living off of my parents I would have told my boss to shove it when he said I couldn't take any extra time off?"

Kurt knew that his next tirade was wrong, but he couldn't stop the words from spilling out. "So, you want to be like _him_ and make me a kept man? Which favors should I offer first? Blowjob? Rimming? Or would you rather I just bend over and take it?" His heart was pounding and his breathing ragged by the time he finished. "I'm sorry," he said quietly when he saw the look on Blaine's face. Both were quiet for a long time. "I didn't mean any of that. I know you would never do that. I guess the hormones are kicking in already."

"Did he do that to you?"

"No," Kurt said adamantly. "He never forced me to do anything. I was always scared that he might, but he never did."

He and Blaine were quiet and avoided each other's eyes for the rest of the meal.

* * *

A Friday night a couple of weeks later found the two together on the couch, watching a movie. They sat with Kurt leaning against Blaine's side with his head on Blaine's shoulder and Blaine's arm around Kurt's shoulders.

"I've missed this," Kurt sighed and looked up at Blaine.

"Me too," Blaine replied.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, their lips just inches apart, before Kurt quickly sat up and said, "We need popcorn. Baby wants popcorn." He wasn't really craving popcorn, but he needed some excuse to put some space between himself and Blaine.

Blaine sat in stunned silence for a minute before laughing and following Kurt to the kitchen. "Isn't it a little early for cravings?"

"Not really," Kurt shrugged and busied himself preparing popcorn. When the kernels started to pop, Kurt paled at the scent and rushed to the bathroom. Blaine turned off the popper and followed Kurt. "I lied," Kurt groaned. "Baby doesn't want popcorn." He heaved once more and Blaine gave a sympathetic smile, reaching into the linen closet for a washcloth. He wet the cloth and wiped at Kurt's tears before handing the cloth over. "Thanks." Sure he was being dismissed, Blaine turned to leave. "Wait," Kurt grabbed his hand, "I don't want to do this alone."

Blaine smiled and knelt down beside Kurt to comfort him. "You don't have to."

* * *

Kurt and Blaine sat across from each other, eating dinner and talking happily, with the radio playing softly in the background. "Oh my God," Kurt laughed suddenly when a new song came on. "Do you remember that stupid party that Sebastian dragged us to junior year?"

Blaine laughed with him and nodded. "This song came on."

"And a cute little blonde came up and asked you to dance while I was getting drinks."

Blaine scoffed. "Cute, but lethal. The only way I got rid of her was by telling her I couldn't because it wouldn't be right to dance with her in front of my jealous boyfriend."

"Cue clueless me returning, our drinks in hand, to be greeted with, unbeknownst to her, our first kiss."

They both laughed at the memory. Blaine stood and offered his hand to Kurt. "May I have this dance?" Kurt nodded and took his hand. Blaine drew him close as they swayed to the music. Both reveled in the feeling of having the other in their arms. When the song came to an end, Blaine looked into Kurt's eyes. "How about making it two?" he whispered, lips so close to their target.

Kurt started to lean in, but pulled back quickly. "I...I can't. I'm sorry. I'm just not ready yet."

Blaine nodded mutely and fled to the safety of his room while Kurt sat at the table, silent tears streaming down his face.

* * *

Kurt woke up and stretched, glad that the ache in his ribs was finally gone. As he reached up to wipe the sleep out of his eyes, he whacked himself in the face with his cast and cursed. "So glad this is coming off today," he grumbled. He stumbled out to the kitchen where Blaine was pouring coffee and eating a muffin. "What are you doing?"

"Same thing I do every week day. Heading to work."

"But today is my appointment. I thought you were going."

Blaine frowned. "I thought that was Thursday."

"Thursday is the appointment with the obstetrician. Today is when I get my cast off."

Blaine sighed. "I'm sorry. I only took Thursday off."

Kurt cursed the waver in his voice as he asked, "Can you take a late lunch? The appointment isn't until two."

"I have a big meeting today at one-thirty that I can't miss."

Kurt nodded. "Don't worry about it. I'll call...somebody. It's not until two, so I have time."

Blaine looked at his watch. "I have to go. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Kurt tried not to let the disappointment show on his face. He sighed as he realized that other than Blaine, the only choices he had were Cooper and Sebastian since Alex hadn't allowed him to keep in contact with his old friends. He didn't know Blaine's brother very well yet, so he decided to try Sebastian, hoping he would be available.

Unbeknownst to Kurt, Blaine called Sebastian on his way to work. "Bas, I need a favor."

"It'll cost you," Sebastian joked.

"Kurt has an appointment today."

Sebastian replied, "Yeah. He gets his cast off. Bet he can't wait."

"Yeah," Blaine said softly. "I'm an ass. I totally mixed up the days somehow and didn't realize that was today. Is there any way you can take him? I have this huge meeting."

"Sure, B. I'll just take a late lunch. I don't have any afternoon appointments, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Blaine hated that he was letting Kurt down, but he was glad that someone could step in.

Sebastian picked Kurt up and they headed for the doctor's office. "Can I tell you something?" Kurt asked. Sebastian nodded. "Blaine and I have been getting closer. He makes it so easy to fall for him. I fell for him the first time we met and I'm falling for him all over again," he confessed.

"So what's the problem?" Sebastian asked, doing a little victory dance in his head.

"I'm not sure I'm ready."

Raising an eyebrow, Sebastian said, "You're hardly a virgin, Kurt. I mean, you _are_ pregnant."

"Sebastian!" Kurt gasped, smacking him in the arm. "That's not the kind of ready I meant."

With a laugh, Sebastian parked the car and said, "What aren't you ready for then?"

Kurt let out a sigh as they walked into the office. "This is all going so fast."

"How is it fast? You've known each other for three years. Like you said, you fell for him the moment you met. I'd say it's going pretty slowly."

Kurt signed in and sat down to wait. "The last year or so I've been struggling through an abusive relationship. A relationship that just ended a month ago."

The door opened and Blaine rushed in. "Oh, good. I'm not too late," he said, trying to catch his breath.

"Blaine! What about your meeting?"

"Rescheduled. Ended early." He held up a finger and took a deep breath. "I managed to get it rescheduled for earlier today and it ended quicker than I anticipated. So here I am."

Sebastian stood. "That's my cue. See you guys later." He hugged Blaine and then Kurt and whispered in Kurt's ear, "Just tell him." Kurt glared as Sebastian walked away with a wave and a smirk.

"I'm so glad Bas was able to bring you." Blaine grinned. "How exciting is this? Seems like you've been waiting forever, huh?"

Sebastian's words were still ringing in Kurt's ears as Blaine spoke. "Yeah...forever," he responded with a smile.

* * *

When the cast was finally off, Kurt felt so much better. It had been a symbol of being trapped. Now, it was like he was finally free from Alex. He knew it would take a while to fully recover. His wrist was still weak, but he was able to do things now. He smiled as he crawled out of bed and walked into the bathroom the next morning, but the smile promptly disappeared when he looked in the mirror. A bruise had formed on his cheek where he had smacked himself the day before. He sighed and walked out to the kitchen to grab something to eat.

Blaine turned when he heard Kurt approaching and gasped. "What happened to you?"

"Hit myself with the cast yesterday when I woke up," Kurt shrugged. "What are you making?"

"Scrambled eggs with bacon," Blaine replied.

Kurt hummed in appreciation. "I've been craving bacon."

Blaine smiled. "I know. That's why I'm making it. I take it this means the morning sickness is gone?"

"Pretty much. I haven't gotten sick in about three days, but I _was_ a little nauseous yesterday when I smelled the onions someone ordered on their sandwich at the deli." He crinkled his nose at the memory.

As Blaine placed the plate in front of Kurt, he chuckled and said, "There you go. Enjoy."

Kurt took a bite and moaned. "God, Blaine. This is amazing. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Blaine responded, placing a kiss on the top of Kurt's head as he passed. "See you later." He knew he had to get out of the apartment as soon as he could. The noises Kurt was making were starting to turn him on and he had to leave before Kurt noticed and freaked out.

After Blaine was gone, Kurt wondered if he would have to be the one to make the first move, then wondered if he was up for doing so. He was still unsure if he was even ready for a new relationship. "It'll happen when the time is right," he assured himself.

* * *

Kurt barely slept Wednesday night and was up before Blaine for once. When Blaine woke up and saw him, he worriedly asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I couldn't sleep. I'm just so excited for today."

Blaine plopped down on the couch beside Kurt. "Me too," he admitted with a grin. "Come help me with breakfast?" Kurt nodded and followed him to the kitchen.

They worked easily together preparing the food. When it was ready, they sat to eat, stealing glances across the table when each thought the other wasn't looking and turning away with a blush each time they were caught. When they finished eating, they went their separate ways to get ready for the day ahead.

Blaine drove to the doctor's office and reached over to take Kurt's hand with a smile. This was something both were used to. They had held hands many times before, but this time felt different, new, like a promise of something to come.

They sat quietly in the waiting room, each lost in his own thoughts, until Kurt's name was called. The nurse took Kurt's weight and asked how he was feeling and if he had any questions or concerns. Kurt smiled and said, "I feel great. The morning sickness has pretty well disappeared and I feel like I have more energy." They were led into an exam room where she measured Kurt's blood pressure and took some blood before handing him a cup and asking for a urine sample.

"Um, can I ask a question?" Blaine asked the nurse when Kurt headed for the bathroom.

"Sure," she answered brightly.

"Is all of this normal? The blood and the urine and all that."

She nodded. "We do several tests to make sure everything is on track and progressing the way it should." When Kurt returned, he handed her the cup. "Thanks, Kurt. I'll send this to the lab and Dr. Beth will be with you soon." Kurt thanked her and hopped up on the bed to wait.

When the door closed, Blaine turned to Kurt. "She's really bubbly."

"Mmhmm. I like her. Oh, and you'll love Dr. Thompson. She's a real people person."

"Dr. Beth?" Blaine asked for clarification and Kurt nodded.

Before anything else could be said, a petite blonde walked in and greeted them. Kurt said, "Blaine, this is Dr. Thompson. Or Dr. Beth, as the staff prefers to call her. Doc, this is my...Blaine."

"Nice to meet you, Kurt's Blaine," Dr. Thompson teased.

Kurt blushed. "That's not what I..."

She cut him off. "I know sweetie. I was teasing. So, how are you feeling?"

"I was telling Angie that the morning sickness seems to be gone, so I'm feeling pretty good."

With a smile, she said, "That's great. Go ahead and lie back for me." Kurt did as she asked and she did her examination, revealing his belly, which Blaine noticed for the first time. "I see you're starting to show."

Kurt blushed and nodded. "I guess I'll need to go shopping soon."

She chuckled and checked a few more things before asking, "Are we ready?"

"Absolutely."

Dr. Thompson got the equipment ready and pulled out a bottle of gel. "I try to keep it warm so it's not such a shock to your system, but no guarantees," she told him as she squirted some onto his belly.

"Not bad," Kurt said as she spread it around a little.

"Looks like you're right where we figured. Twelve weeks, give or take a couple days." He watched as she looked at the screen for a few minutes more before turning it so he and Blaine could see.

There it was. That tiny little thing was his baby. As much as he had wanted a girl, in that moment, he knew it didn't matter. He was completely head over heels in love with his baby. He looked over at Blaine and saw the look of awe on his face. He reached out and grabbed Blaine's hand and smiled.

The happiness he felt increased exponentially when Dr. Thompson turned the sound on and he heard his baby's heartbeat for the first time. Tears filled his eyes and he let out a laugh. "That's amazing." He looked up at Blaine and saw him nod, not taking his eyes away from the screen.

Blaine felt his heart swell with love as he watched the movement on the screen in front of him. He knew, in that moment, that he would do anything for the baby before him and he wanted more than anything to be his or her other father.

When Kurt saw the look on Blaine's face, he knew that he was ready. He just had to figure out how to make a move.

* * *

While Blaine was at work the next day, Kurt set his plan in motion. He drove to the grocery and got everything he would need to prepare Blaine's favorite meal. On the way home, a song came on the radio and as he listened, tears began to stream down his cheeks. "Damn hormones," he sniffled, smiling because he knew that it would be the perfect song for that evening.

When he got to the apartment, he pulled out his laptop and downloaded the song and synced his iPod so it would be ready later. He pulled up one of his playlists and put it on while he got everything ready.

Blaine got home that evening and smiled when the smell invaded his senses. "Kurt? I'm home."

"Living room," Kurt called. He was sitting quietly, reading a book that Dr. Thompson had recommended the day before in response to one of his questions. He laid the book aside when Blaine entered. "Welcome home," he smiled.

Blaine cocked his head and asked, "Did you go shopping today?"

Kurt nodded. "I figured I should embrace the paternity pants rather than fight them. They're actually more comfy than I imagined, and more fashionable. What do you think?" he asked as he modeled playfully for Blaine.

"It looks great," Blaine answered honestly. "Is dinner ready?"

"Yes and I'm starving. Let's eat," he laughed. They ate in relative silence. When they were both finished, Kurt stood and walked over to Blaine. He held out a hand and asked, "May I have this dance?"

Blaine gave him an amused smile. "There's no music," he said, but allowed Kurt to pull him up. Kurt shushed him and reached over to press play on his iPod.

_Something in your eyes makes me wanna lose myself  
Makes me wanna lose myself in your arms  
There's something in your voice, makes my heart beat fast  
Hope this feeling lasts the rest of my life_

"Oh, Kurt," Blaine breathed and Kurt smiled.

"Shh, just listen." Kurt pulled Blaine close and sang along quietly.

_It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
It feels like I'm all the way back where I come from  
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong_

Blaine pulled back slightly to look into Kurt's eyes. They remained a breath apart, gazing into one another's eyes until Kurt closed the gap. Everything else around them seemed to disappear and time seemed to stop.

When they broke apart for air, Blaine leaned his forehead against Kurt's with his eyes closed and sighed, "I love you." Kurt pulled away and Blaine opened his eyes, seeing the apprehension in Kurt's eyes.

"I..." Kurt stopped and shook his head.

Blaine pulled him close once more. "Shh, it's okay. I'm sorry. It was too soon. You don't have to say it back."

Kurt clung to Blaine and Blaine could feel him trembling. He could hear the tears in Kurt's voice when he whispered, "I want to. I really do."

"That's enough," Blaine whispered back. "That's more than enough for me right now." He felt Kurt nod.

* * *

The next few days found Blaine taking advantage of the new freedom he had found that night. Every chance he got, he would steal a sweet kiss from Kurt, causing him to blush and smile. Blaine felt like a teenager with his first boyfriend. The only problem was that Blaine wasn't sure if he could now call Kurt his boyfriend. They hadn't discussed it.

One night, Kurt was flitting around, cleaning and moving things around while Blaine read a book, sneaking glances when he could. "Hey, Kurt? Why don't you take a break?"

"I just have a ton of energy and I don't want it to go to waste."

"Come on. Come sit with me." He gave Kurt a pout.

Kurt laughed and joined him on the couch. "How could I resist those puppy eyes?" he teased, placing a kiss on the tip of Blaine's nose. "You're adorable," he sighed, leaning in for a kiss.

"Mmm, not as adorable as you. With your little baby bump."

Kurt blushed. "Yeah, real adorable. It just looks like I had too much for dinner right now."

"You know, I always thought it was a myth when people talked about a pregnancy glow. But it's real. You really are glowing," Blaine said as he traced his fingers down the side of Kurt's face.

"You mean perspiring," Kurt laughed.

Blaine shook his head. "No. You're happy. I haven't seen you like this in a long time. It's nice."

Kurt nuzzled into Blaine's hand. "You _do _know you're part of the reason, right?"

"Good," Blaine replied. "I'm glad I could be part of something so wonderful." He laid his book aside and placed a gentle kiss on Kurt's lips.

After a few seconds, Kurt deepened the kiss. He moved so that he was straddling Blaine and took Blaine's face in both his hands, keeping him in place. Blaine's hands moved to Kurt's waist as he reveled in the feeling of Kurt. As the kiss continued, Kurt's hips seemed to take on a mind of their own and before they knew it, both were panting into one another's mouths. Kurt pulled away with a gasp. "God, Blaine." He threw his head back and tried to catch his breath.

Blaine murmured Kurt's name before latching onto his neck, intent on marking him. This was so much more than Blaine had hoped for. Blaine couldn't help himself as he thrust upward, causing Kurt to moan. Kurt's hips stuttered and stilled and his body slumped as he dropped his head onto Blaine's shoulder, his breathing ragged. "Kurt?" When he didn't get a response he asked, "You okay?"

Kurt nodded against Blaine's shoulder, but refused to look up. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"Don't. Just stop apologizing, please. There's nothing to be sorry for." He nuzzled Kurt's cheek before placing a kiss there.

Finally, Kurt lifted his head and looked at Blaine. "I'm scared," he admitted. Blaine just looked at him, confused and a little hurt. "Not of you," Kurt said quickly. "Of this. Everything is...it's so much. I've never felt like this before and I'm not sure I can handle it."

"Handle what, Kurt?" he asked, searching for the answer in Kurt's eyes.

"This. Us. I don't know if I'm ready to take the risk. I _know _that you'd never hurt me physically. But I don't think I could survive having my heart broken again. So I need to know that this is real for you. And I need you to be patient with me."

Blaine nodded frantically. "Yes. Absolutely. Whatever you want. I'll be as patient as you need me to be. Just please don't give up on us before we've even started. I meant it when I said I love you, Kurt. And I _know _you're not ready to say it and that's fine. Just know that to me," he took a breath, "this is all I've ever wanted. From the moment we met."

"Thank you." Kurt smiled and placed a tender kiss on Blaine's lips before moving off of him and making a face. "I'll be right back," he said apologetically.

Blaine nodded and waited until Kurt was gone to let out a deep sigh, trying to will away his erection. When he realized it wouldn't work, he adjusted himself, hoping that it wouldn't be obvious when Kurt returned.

When Kurt came back, Blaine motioned for him to take a seat next to him. "Believe it or not, I had actually planned for us to have a conversation before all of this." Kurt blushed, causing Blaine to smile. "Don't get embarrassed. I just wanted to talk about us."

"What about us?"

"Well, I mean, we kind of laid it all out there, but I just wanted to be sure. Are we...together now? Can I call you my boyfriend?"

Kurt smiled and said, "Yes," before leaning over to capture Blaine's lips.

* * *

While Kurt went to his next appointment, Blaine was stuck at work, grumbling about how much he would rather be with Kurt. Kurt had asked Sebastian to accompany him rather than go alone. When the doctor entered, she greeted them without looking up from Kurt's chart. "Hello, Kurt and Blaine." She looked up and a look of surprise crossed her face. "You're not Blaine," she said to Sebastian.

"Hmm. I hadn't noticed," Sebastian said, receiving an elbow in the gut from Kurt. "I'm Uncle Sebastian. Daddy Blaine couldn't make it." He stuck his tongue out at Kurt and received a glare in return.

Dr. Thompson laughed. "I like this one," she told Kurt. To Sebastian she said, "You remind me of my brother."

"Is he single?"

"Sebastian!" Kurt yelled, blushing furiously. "Oh my God. Can we just get on with this please?"

The doctor smiled. "Absolutely. The tests have all come back normal, so nothing to worry about there. How have you been feeling? Morning sickness completely gone now?"

Kurt nodded. "Yes, and I still have a ton of energy. I hear that'll change so I've really been taking advantage of it."

"Just try not to overdo it, okay?" Kurt nodded. "Have you felt the baby move at all?"

Kurt grinned. "Yeah, a little. It's like there's a little butterfly floating around in there."

"Good. Go ahead and lie back for me." She lifted his shirt a little and felt his belly. "Are you eating okay? Making sure to eat healthy?"

"Mmhmm." She nodded and continued what she was doing. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head. "No, not at all. Your weight looks good, baby seems to be on track. How about we take a look?"

Kurt looked at Sebastian. "Try not to cry," he teased. "It's pretty overwhelming, but you know, hormones are my excuse." Sebastian rolled his eyes. When Kurt saw the baby, he said, "Oh my God, she's grown so much."

Dr. Thompson said, "About double the size from last time."

"It's a girl?" Sebastian asked.

Dr. Thompson looked at Kurt and said, "I can try to get the baby to move into a position where I can determine the sex, if you want me to."

Kurt shook his head. "Not yet. I want to wait for Blaine." He turned to Sebastian. "I've always wanted a girl and I hate the idea of calling the baby 'it' so I say her or she." He noticed that Sebastian's eyes had become misty, but chose not to say anything.

"So what do you think, Uncle Sebastian?" Dr. Thompson asked.

Sebastian looked up and blinked, trying to clear his eyes and clearing his throat. "Pretty cool."

"Let's listen to Baby's heart real quick and then I'll let you get out of here."

Sebastian couldn't hold back the tears this time. "Wow," he whispered. "I hate you, Hummel," he muttered with a laugh as he wiped the tears away.

"Baby's heartbeat is strong and everything looks great. I'll let you go and I'll see you back in a few weeks. Hopefully with Blaine. Not that I don't want to see you again, Uncle Sebastian." This caused Sebastian to laugh.

Kurt smiled. "Definitely with Blaine. He was so torn up that he couldn't be here today."

Sebastian stood up and said, "I'll wait outside." As soon as he was out of earshot, he pulled out his phone and dialed, knowing Kurt would be a few minutes. "Hey, B."

"Is something wrong?" Blaine asked quickly.

"No, not at all. Just waiting on your boy and thought I'd give you a call."

Blaine asked, "Is everything okay? How's the baby?"

Sebastian chuckled at Blaine's enthusiasm. "I'll let him give you all the details, but I just wanted to say how amazing it was and to thank you for letting me bring him. I've never experienced anything like it." Blaine started to speak, but Sebastian cut him off. "He's walking out now, so I'm gonna have to let you go," he said quietly and ended the call.

Kurt looked at Sebastian curiously. "Who was that?"

"Nobody," Sebastian shrugged, unsure why he was lying to Kurt.

Kurt's eyes narrowed. "Who were you talking to about me?"

"Nobody," Sebastian repeated. Kurt simply crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. Sebastian scoffed. "You think that scares me or something?" When Kurt remained silent, Sebastian sighed. "Fine. It was Blaine."

Kurt looked at him skeptically. "Why would you have to hide that?"

"I wasn't hiding it. I just didn't feel like it was important. I just thanked him for letting me come with you."

"Why do you need to thank him?"

"Because," Sebastian started, lowering his voice as a couple passed by them. "Because I want to be Uncle Sebastian."

Confused, Kurt said, "You _are_ Uncle Sebastian."

"Can we talk about this in the car, please?" Kurt nodded and they walked silently to the car. When they were inside, Sebastian looked over at Kurt. "I know that my brother screwed up. And I know that you and Blaine are dating, or whatever, and he's gonna be like, the other daddy. I don't want to be the best friend who baby calls uncle type of uncle. I want to be involved and I want him or her to know that I'm their _real _uncle. And Blaine gets that. I was just afraid that you wouldn't because I'm Alex's brother."

Kurt smiled sympathetically. "Just because Alex messed up doesn't mean he isn't the father of this baby. Whether or not Blaine steps into that role has nothing to do with it. I don't want Alex around her, but I'm not going to keep his family away. She'll know her family," he promised. "You're welcome to come with us to any appointment, whenever you want. And you don't have to ask permission or thank us afterward."

Sebastian nodded and started the car. After a few minutes of silence Sebastian asked, "Have you talked to my parents lately?"

"I talked to your mom last week. I've been keeping her updated on everything and I've even invited her over to the apartment. She said she'd prefer me coming there instead, but we haven't really set a date or anything yet. Like I said, I'm not keeping the family away. Honestly, I think I've talked to her more since I moved in with Blaine than I ever have."

"Did she tell you Alex wants to sign away parental rights?" he asked quietly.

Kurt suddenly understood what Sebastian was getting at. "Good. I won't have to worry about him trying to see her." He could see Sebastian's jaw tighten. "But that won't change how I feel. I still want my baby to know the rest of her family."

Kurt wasn't paying too much attention to the drive, so he didn't realize Sebastian had taken a different route than normal. When they stopped and Kurt looked up he was confused. Sebastian shrugged. "You didn't have any other plans. This will save you the cost of a stamp." Kurt frowned, but followed Sebastian inside the house. "Mama!" he called.

"You realize I haven't been here since last Christmas?" Kurt shifted uncomfortably.

"Don't worry so much. My mother loves you."

Katherine Smythe hurried down the stairs. "Sebastian! Oh, my baby." She planted a kiss on his cheek as she hugged him.

"Hey, Mama," he smiled.

Her eyes widened when she saw Kurt hiding behind her son. "Kurt. I'm so glad you could make it. Where's Blaine?"

"He'll be here soon," Sebastian answered. "He had to work today."

Kurt handed over the ultrasound picture and Katherine gasped. "She's grown so much," she squealed, leading the boys into the living room to sit down. Kurt suddenly felt much more comfortable being back in the house.

"Why is everyone convinced this kid's a girl?" Sebastian scoffed. "We're talking about a Smythe here. Definitely a boy."

Katherine patted her son on the shoulder. "You keep telling yourself that. I'll tell you a little secret. There's an intuition that expectant parents have. If Kurt thinks he's having a girl, he probably is."

"So what happens when you buy all kinds of pink and you have a boy?"

Kurt shrugged. "He'll wear pink?"

"Please," Sebastian snorted. "No nephew of mine will wear pink."

"Good thing you'll have a niece then, huh?" Kurt teased.

Katherine shook her head at the boys. "You two fight like brothers. Can I get you anything, Kurt? Something to drink, a snack?" Katherine asked. "Nothing big, though. I don't want to ruin your dinner."

Kurt shook his head. "I'm okay. Thank you for thinking you could ruin dinner, though. I've been eating like a pig, lately." He placed a hand over his belly to emphasize his point. "The doctor says everything's right on track, so I guess I just feel like I'm overeating."

They sat talking for a while and Kurt jumped when there was a loud knock on the front door. "That must be Blaine," Katherine grinned. "Go let him in, Sebastian."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, but did as his mother said. "You practically lived here in high school. Why don't you just walk in?"

"That was a million years ago. It would be rude to just walk in now."

"Oh, Blaine. Ever the gentleman. How are your parents?"

Blaine forced a smile. "They're good, Mrs. Smythe. Though, I have to admit, we haven't really talked much."

She gave a sympathetic smile. "I had hoped they would have come to their senses by now." Blaine just shrugged. "So, I'm making Kurt's favorite for dinner. Please say you'll stay."

Kurt's eyes lit up and he looked to Blaine for confirmation. Blaine shrugged and said, "Up to you." Kurt nodded and grinned.

"Great. It'll be about twenty minutes or so yet so I'll leave you boys to chat while I finish up."

Kurt scooted closer to Blaine and took his hand. "Thank you." He placed a soft kiss on Blaine's lips. Blaine wanted to deepen it, but he was aware that Sebastian was still in the room and pulled away.

Sebastian smirked. "Don't stop on my account." Blaine pulled a throw pillow from behind him and threw it at Sebastian's head, sinking back into the couch and pulling Kurt into his side.

Sebastian started to retaliate when he heard his mother's voice from the kitchen. "Don't throw things in the house Sebastian James!"

Kurt's eyes widened with humor. "I want that," he hissed to Blaine and Blaine raised an eyebrow. "The power to know everything your child is doing." They both laughed. "And we need to come up with a really awesome name so that I can yell their full name so they know I mean business," he said conspiratorially.

Sebastian gave Kurt the middle finger. "At least I don't have an embarrassing middle name," he muttered. "You should name the baby Sebastian, that's a pretty awesome name."

"While that _is_ a pretty name, I don't think it's pretty enough for a girl. Even if I do have a boy, the world can only handle one Sebastian Smythe." He was met with silence. "What?" he asked.

"I thought you would name the baby Hummel."

Kurt shrugged. "I honestly haven't thought about it. I was really just trying to make a jab at Sebastian. Would it bother you?"

"No," Blaine answered honestly. "Just wasn't really thinking, I guess. I mean, on the ultrasound printouts it says Baby Hummel, so I just assumed."

"Dinner's ready," Katherine announced. "Jim is on a business trip, so we can go ahead and get started."

Kurt gave a devious smile. "I just realized that you're named after your dad, Sebastian James."

"So was Alex," Sebastian grumbled. "Dad's middle name is Alexander. Is there a point to this harassment?"

Not wanting to push the teasing too far, Kurt settled for, "Just learning new things about your family." He gave a soft smile. "You'll have to tell me some other names from your family. I love tradition."

* * *

Kurt woke in the middle of the night, sweating and hard after a very vivid dream. He thought he heard noise coming from across the hall and assumed Blaine was having trouble sleeping.

He quietly walked into Blaine's room and stopped wide eyed at what he saw. He heard voices coming from the television and knew his eyes weren't deceiving him. He could hear moaning and panting and one of the voices saying really vulgar things. He must have made some kind of noise because Blaine turned his head toward him. "Kurt," he gasped and covered himself quickly, reaching for the remote to turn off the television.

Kurt turned to go back to his own room. Blaine stopped him and coaxed him into sitting on the edge of the bed and moved to sit beside him. "I'm not upset," Kurt assured when he saw the apologetic look on Blaine's face. "I just don't get the appeal. Don't get me wrong, I've watched _those_ kind of movies before, it's just that, the dirty talk doesn't do anything for me. And I've never liked it."

Kurt missed the glint in Blaine's eyes at that statement. They were quiet for a few minutes. "So, did you need something?"

"I couldn't sleep. I heard the tv so I figured you were having trouble sleeping, too."

Blaine nodded. "Why were you having trouble sleeping?"

Feeling bold, Kurt answered, "Apparently the same reason as you."

Blaine's eyes darkened at Kurt's admission. "I wonder what we can do about that."

Kurt leaned closer and whispered, "I can think of something," as he captured Blaine's lips. They moved until they were lying side by side on the bed, lips hardly parting in the process. Kurt's hand found its way to Blaine's chest and he caressed the skin there while Blaine's hand tangled in Kurt's shirt, pulling him as close as possible.

Blaine pulled back slightly and asked, "Is this okay?" Kurt nodded and sat up a little, helping Blaine remove his shirt. They returned to their slow, heated kisses as they shifted so that Blaine was leaning over Kurt. He caressed Kurt's belly before allowing his hand to travel lower. Kurt lifted his hips to allow Blaine to remove his pants. Blaine tossed them to the floor before returning to hover over Kurt.

Kurt tangled his hand in Blaine's hair to pull their lips together once more. He thrust his hips upward in an attempt at friction, but Blaine remained out of reach, causing Kurt to let out an undignified whine. "C'mon, Blaine."

"Nope. You need to tell me what you want."

Kurt looked at him like he was crazy. "You. I want you."

"How do you want me?" Blaine whispered hotly as he trailed kisses down Kurt's neck. Kurt continued making little noises as Blaine trailed kisses lower and lower, avoiding the one place he was sure Kurt wanted him. "Talk to me, Kurt." Blaine continued to torture him until he was writhing and begging.

"Blaine," Kurt whined. "Please."

Blaine gave him a wicked grin. "Please, what?"

Kurt groaned. "You're going to be the death of me."

"Tell me what you want, Kurt," he whispered, his breath ghosting across Kurt's skin.

"Ugh!" Kurt didn't want to give in. "You know I hate dirty talk, Blaine. Just do it."

Blaine smirked, intent on getting Kurt to tell him what he wanted. "Come on, Kurt. How do you expect me to do dirty things to you if you refuse to talk dirty to me?" he asked, trying to sound innocent.

Kurt growled, his hormones taking over. "Suck me, Blaine. Suck me until I come down your throat!" he screamed, startling himself. Not the dirtiest thing Blaine had ever heard, but he'd take it, coming from Kurt. It's probably all he'd get.

He blushed as Blaine grinned and said, "That wasn't so difficult, was it?" Kurt's glare disappeared as Blaine sank down, taking him all the way down his throat.

Kurt couldn't bring himself to care about his outburst by the time Blaine was finished with him. He lay sprawled across the bed as Blaine playfully licked his lips before kissing his way up Kurt's body. He began with soft, sweet kisses to the swell of Kurt's belly, taking his time and worshiping every inch.

"I love you," he whispered over and over as he placed feather light kisses everywhere he could reach. By the time he reached Kurt's lips, he noticed the tear tracks on Kurt's face and became worried. "Are you okay?"

"Better than okay," he nodded. "They're happy tears, I swear. I love you, Blaine."

Blaine could swear his heart stopped. "Say it again," he begged.

"I love you."

"Again," he breathed.

Kurt laughed. "Look who's begging now." He placed a kiss on the tip of Blaine's nose. "I love you."

Blaine moved so that his mouth was next to Kurt's belly again. "Did you hear that?" he whispered. "Your daddy loves me." And as he placed a kiss, he felt movement and froze. "Kurt?"

"Hmm?" Kurt sighed, smiling and running his fingers through Blaine's hair.

"Did the baby just kick?"

Kurt's smile widened. "You felt it? Oh wow. I didn't think you'd feel it yet."

Blaine pulled himself up so that he was face to face with Kurt. "Kurt," he breathed, "let me ride you."

"Excuse me?" Kurt squeaked.

"Please, Kurt. I want to feel you. I want...you, all of you," he babbled. "Please let me ride you." Kurt's eyes darkened as Blaine rambled and he nodded. Kurt reached toward the nightstand in search of a condom and the lube, but Blaine stopped him, scrambling to grab the items himself. "Let me do all the work. Just enjoy the show." He placed a kiss on Kurt's lips before backing away from him. Kurt watched as Blaine stroked himself a few times before reaching back and letting out a moan. "Been so long," he panted as he prepared himself to take Kurt.

Kurt sat, mouth slightly agape and felt himself harden at the curses, obscenities, and incoherent moans pouring from Blaine's mouth. Dirty talk had always been a turn off for him, but hearing it from Blaine's mouth left him increasingly turned on. "Are you ready?" Kurt nearly pleaded with him. Blaine didn't respond, just moved to roll the condom onto Kurt's length. Kurt flushed as Blaine straddled him and he forced his eyes to stay open so he could watch Blaine sink down onto him, impossibly slowly. "Blaine," he breathed when Blaine was finally full.

Blaine's chin dropped to his chest as he concentrated on controlling his breathing. Kurt started to speak, but Blaine held up a hand to stop him. "Just...give me a second." After a few seconds, he lifted his head and opened his eyes, met by the purest blue he'd ever seen. "I'm not going to last," he gasped, before giving an embarrassed laugh. "I didn't mean to say that out loud."

"It's okay," Kurt sighed and admitted, "I'm not either."

Blaine started to move and it was like heaven. He could feel the connection between them and it was like nothing he'd ever felt before. He attacked Kurt's lips, feeling Kurt respond eagerly. He felt Kurt's hands on his hips, guiding him and grounding him. It felt like... "Home," he breathed as Kurt brought him to the edge. They clung tightly to one another as they both came down.

When Kurt could move again, he pulled out and removed the condom, tossing it into the trash. "You think out loud a lot. I'd like to know what you were thinking there at the end."

Blaine nuzzled into Kurt's chest. "Just that being with you is like coming home." Kurt smiled and placed a kiss on the top of Blaine's head.

"You know," he started quietly, "when we met I thought I felt something."

"A twitch in your pants?" Blaine asked playfully, causing Kurt to blush.

"No," Kurt scoffed. "Way to ruin the mood." Blaine grinned and Kurt stuck out his tongue before turning serious. "You know how in the movies there's always this moment when two soul mates meet and there's a spark of...never mind," he finished, feeling silly.

Blaine looked at Kurt, amazed. "You felt it too? I thought I was imagining it." They were quiet for a long time. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

"For what?" Kurt asked sleepily.

"For the dirty talk. You said it's a turn off for you."

Kurt let out a contented sigh. "It used to be. Hearing it from you though..." He felt himself start to flush just thinking about it. "I still don't think I could ever, though. I mean, not again."

"Babe, I wouldn't call what you said dirty. It was pretty tame." He captured Kurt's lips for a moment before murmuring "But it was hot."

* * *

Kurt lay there with Blaine's head on his chest, thinking Blaine was asleep. He jumped a little when Blaine spoke his name. "You okay?" he asked quietly. Kurt nodded and smiled down at him. Blaine returned the smile and dropped a gentle kiss on Kurt's chest. He took a few moments just to look at Kurt and to trace random shapes on Kurt's belly while the baby moved around. "Do you still think it's a girl?" he asked quietly.

Kurt laughed quietly. "That was random. But yes. I do. Why?"

"Just wondered." After a few more moments of silence, Blaine asked, "Are you going to find out tomorrow?"

"Do you and Sebastian have a bet going or something?" Blaine shook his head. "Then why does it matter? Will it change how you feel?"

Blaine sat up quickly. "No. Absolutely not. I love the baby as much as you do. I'm just...curious." He averted his eyes on the last part, but hoped that Kurt wouldn't notice.

Unfortunately for Blaine, Kurt _did_ notice. "What are you hiding?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

Blaine sighed. "It's Cooper," he mumbled. Kurt raised an eyebrow. "It's not a bet with Bas, it's with Coop," he finally admitted.

"In that case, you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" Kurt huffed.

Blaine groaned as he flopped back on the mattress. He watched Kurt pull on his robe. "Hormones," he grumbled as Kurt walked out. He waited a few minutes before following Kurt. He found him at the kitchen table with a cup of hot tea. "I'm sorry." Kurt just shrugged. Blaine sighed and sat across from Kurt. "You know Coop. He can't resist. And you know me, I can't back down from one of his challenges." Kurt refused to look at him. "I told him we're sure it's a girl," he pouted playfully, hoping for a reaction.

Kurt couldn't help himself. He looked up and laughed. "You're too adorable. I'm sorry I stormed out. I'm not mad. Not really. It's..." he sighed.

"Hormones. I get it. I've been here for the whole ride, remember?" Blaine smiled. Kurt nodded and took his hand. "I love you and I love our daughter...or son. Probably daughter," he said quickly. "Either way, I love our baby."

"Do you mean it? That this is _our _baby?" Kurt asked quietly.

Blaine's eyes widened and he blushed. "Um, yeah. If...if that's okay. I don't want to do anything that will upset you."

"It's perfect," Kurt said quietly.

* * *

This was it. The day they'd been waiting for. Kurt was shifting in his seat. Blaine smiled over at him before turning his attention back to the road. "A little excited?"

"More than a little. Can we stop at the McDonald's up here, please?"

Blaine's brow furrowed. "Hungry already?"

"Baby's on my bladder," Kurt explained. Blaine chuckled, but pulled into the lot. "Thank you!" Kurt sighed, placing a quick kiss on Blaine's cheek. A few minutes later, Kurt was back in the car. "So much better. Let's do this."

They got to the doctor's office and Kurt signed in before sitting beside Blaine. Blaine noticed that Kurt seemed nervous and was biting his bottom lip. "You okay?"

Kurt turned to him and asked, "What if I'm having a boy?"

Blaine couldn't help himself and let out a laugh. "Didn't you say you don't actually care?"

"Well, yeah. But what if I _am_ having a boy and he can hear me calling him a girl?" He placed a hand on his belly. "Won't that give him some kind of complex?"

"Babe, I don't know if the baby can hear you yet or not, but I'm sure he or she won't have a complex."

Before Blaine could go any further, Kurt's name was called. Kurt took a deep breath as Blaine pulled him up. "Hey, Nick," Kurt greeted the nurse who had called his name.

"How are we feeling?"

Kurt shrugged. "Physically, pretty good. Growing day by day. But it's been kind of an emotional rollercoaster."

Nick smiled. "Yeah, it's kind of crazy," he said sympathetically. "My wife was the same way. How's the little one doing?"

"Moving like crazy. Keeps me up some nights."

Nick got the information he needed and told Kurt, "Doc will be with you in a few minutes."

"Thanks."

When Dr. Thompson arrived, she completed her physical examination of Kurt and then prepared the ultrasound equipment. "Before I start, are we finding out the sex or is it going to be a surprise?"

Kurt answered immediately. "Finding out." He shared an anxious smile with Blaine and reached out to take his hand. "This is it," he whispered.

Blaine nodded and leaned in for a gentle kiss. "I can't wait."

Dr. Thompson smiled as she looked at the screen and said, "Ah, perfect. Are you two ready?" When both nodded, she turned the screen so that they could see and said, "Your daughter doesn't seem to be very modest. Either that or she wants to make sure you know she's definitely a girl."

"You're sure? Like _absolutely_ sure?" She nodded. He looked at his boyfriend. "Blaine," he whispered, tears shining in his eyes, "She's a girl."

"She's also very active," Dr. Thompson observed. "Everything looks great, boys. Congratulations, you're going to have your hands full."

* * *

They were having dinner at the Smythes' house to make the announcement to the whole family. Sebastian and Cooper were also there, as well as Kurt's step-mother, Carole. Kurt and Blaine exchanged knowing glances throughout the evening. They couldn't keep from touching one another the entire time, arms brushing as they passed one another while helping to prepare the meal, fingers intertwined while they ate, tender kisses stolen any chance they got.

After everyone was finished with dinner, Katherine stood to get dessert. "Don't spill until I get back," she jokingly warned Kurt. Kurt pretended to zip his lips. Blaine squeezed his hand under the table and Kurt beamed at him.

When dessert was served, everyone turned to look at Kurt. "What?" he asked innocently. "Okay, okay. As you all know, I'm halfway there." Pointing at Cooper he winked and added, "And living on a prayer." Cooper beamed at him.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Don't encourage him, Kurt."

"So at our appointment today we found out," he paused, looking around the table. "It's a girl!"

Everyone congratulated Kurt. "Your father would be so happy for you," Carole told him. "He always talked about how much he was looking forward to being a grandpa someday. And your brother would have made a wonderful uncle." Kurt gave her a watery smile and squeezed her hand across the table. There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't think about, and miss, his father and step-brother.

To keep the mood a little lighter, Kurt turned to Sebastian a moment later. "So now that we know for sure, I need names. I told you it's your responsibility to give me a list of family names. I want a name that means something." Sebastian sighed and listed names of his relatives. Kurt frowned at the names mentioned, none of them standing out for him. "What about Alexander? You said it's your dad's middle name, right? So it must have some meaning."

"The name Alexander and other forms of it have been passed through the Smythe family for generations," Jim interjected.

"That's kind of a big deal." Kurt looked accusatorily at Sebastian.

Sebastian shrugged. "I just figured you wouldn't want something that...I don't know, in your face? You'd be reminded of Alex every time you said it or thought about it."

"I'll be reminded of Alex every time I look at her. A name won't change that."

As they all sat talking, everyone tossed out names. Kurt promised to think about each, but guaranteed nothing.

Before they left, Kurt pulled Sebastian aside. "You have to stop feeling so guilty for your brother's actions. Nobody knew what he was capable of. I've moved on, so why can't you?"

* * *

Blaine woke up when he received an elbow to his chest. He took in his surroundings and smiled when he saw Kurt sprawled out next to him. Kurt had been complaining about the temperature lately. They would start out cuddled together under the blankets and within an hour or so, Kurt would toss the blankets off, complaining about the heat. He moved Kurt's arm from his chest rolled over to try to go back to sleep. Just as he was falling into unconsciousness, Kurt rolled over and slung his arm over Blaine's waist, pressing his belly against Blaine's lower back. Blaine smiled when he felt the baby's movement and carefully rolled over to face Kurt.

"Can't sleep," Kurt mumbled. "Too hot."

Blaine chuckled. "Sharing my body heat won't help."

Kurt kissed Blaine deeply. "Don't care." The kisses became more heated. "Want you," Kurt begged.

"You have me," Blaine whispered, reaching into the nightstand. He grabbed the lube and a condom and tossed them on the bed next to them. "Tell me what you want, Kurt."

"I want you inside me," he said as Blaine shucked his pants.

Blaine's eyes darkened. This was new. They had had sex a handful of times so far in their relationship, but each time Blaine had bottomed. Blaine wasn't stupid, he knew that Kurt _had_ to have done so at some point, but he hadn't questioned Kurt about his preferences. Before removing Kurt's pants, Blaine asked, "Can I ask something?" Kurt's brow furrowed, but he nodded. "So, this is the first time you've..." Blaine suddenly felt shy. "Do you not enjoy it? Or are you worried about the baby? Or..." he trailed off.

Kurt looked deep into Blaine's eyes. "You look so beautiful riding me. And the noises you make...They should be illegal. No, I love it, but I can't get enough of you and your noises. She's growing every day so I won't be able to enjoy that for much longer without her getting in the way. I wanted to get as much of it as I could."

Blaine kissed Kurt deeply before removing Kurt's pants and crawling back up the bed. He grabbed the lube and squirted some on his fingers, starting to work Kurt open. He had worked his way up to three fingers when Kurt let out an undignified whine and begged him for more. Kurt reached down and grabbed the lube, pouring some into his hand and grabbing hold of Blaine. "Condom, Kurt."

"I'm already pregnant. Don't worry about it. Unless you have something you're hiding?"

"Not at all," he promised.

Kurt grinned and said, "Then what are you waiting for?" He leaned in so that their lips were only a breath apart and whispered hotly, "I wanna feel you pounding into me so hard I can't walk tomorrow."

Blaine's eyes went wide. "Kurt," he breathed before surging forward to capture Kurt's lips. They broke apart, breathing labored. "That was so hot. But while I appreciate it, I don't think that's going to happen for a few months. I don't want to hurt the baby."

Kurt laughed. "Mood killer," he teased. "Come on. Make love to me."

"Gladly." Blaine positioned himself and slowly entered Kurt, watching Kurt's eyes for any sign of discomfort. When he was all the way in, he stopped and took a deep breath to control himself.

After a few seconds, Kurt bucked his hips. "Please move." Blaine moaned at the movement and Kurt chuckled. "Maybe I'm _not_ missing out by doing it this way." He leaned up and kissed Blaine, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth and biting lightly. They moved together slowly, building a rhythm. Blaine felt himself getting close so he reached between them to stroke Kurt. With the hormones coursing through his body, it didn't take much and before they knew it, both were tumbling over the edge.

Blaine shifted them so that he wasn't lying on top of Kurt and putting pressure on Kurt's belly. He caressed Kurt's belly and whispered softly. After a few minutes, he felt Kurt's belly tighten and he frowned. "What was that? Did I do something wrong?"

Kurt shook his head. "Braxton Hicks. I've been having them lately. Doc said as long as they're not increasing in frequency and intensity, not to worry." He kissed the tip of Blaine's nose. "You worry too much. I'm going to walk it off. Go back to sleep."

"How can I sleep knowing you're having contractions?" Blaine asked as Kurt pulled his pants on.

"It's nothing to worry about. If you're that worried about it, walk with me." Blaine jumped out of bed and pulled his own pants on, ready to follow along. Kurt rolled his eyes as he pulled on his robe and walked to the kitchen where he made them each a cup of hot tea.

Blaine eyed the mugs in Kurt's hands. "This is decaf, right?"

"Yes." He placed the mugs on the table and sat on Blaine's lap, looping his arms around Blaine's neck and kissing him. "I love you."

Blaine hummed in response. "I'll never get tired of hearing that." Kurt took Blaine's hand and placed it on the side of his belly so he could feel the baby as she did somersaults. "We woke her up."

As they sat and drank their tea, Blaine hummed random melodies and stroked Kurt's belly. The baby seemed to calm and relax, as did the contractions Kurt had felt. Kurt leaned his head on Blaine's shoulder and yawned. "Let's go back to bed." He stood and took Blaine's hand and they cuddled into one another in the middle of the bed.

* * *

Kurt sat, rubbing his belly to calm his daughter, reading names from the baby name book he had picked up a few days before. "What about Kristen? Or Jamie?"

Blaine shrugged. "It's really up to you, Kurt."

"Blaine, you said we're in this together. I don't want to choose a name you don't like."

With a sigh, Blaine said, "If it's something I don't think I can live with, I'll let you know."

Flipping back and forth, Kurt threw out names at random, hoping for some kind of reaction from Blaine. "Olivia? Sarah? Jennifer?"

Blaine protested, finally. "No, absolutely not. Not Jennifer. _Not_ Jennifer, _not_ Amanda, and _not_ any feminine form of John or David."

Kurt frowned and shifted when a sharp pain hit him. He rubbed his belly and said, "Don't worry, sweetie, we'll figure it out. Daddy B just seems to be a little grumpy today."

"I wish you hadn't picked that nickname up from Bas," he grumbled.

"Blaine," Kurt pleaded. "She'll be here before we know it. I want us to find a name we can agree on." Blaine avoided his gaze. "Are you...are you having second thoughts about this? Because it's a little late, now."

Blaine hid his face in his hands for a few seconds before running a hand through his hair. "I don't know, Kurt," he answered honestly. When he looked up, Kurt could see the tears and the fear in his eyes. "I don't know what I want anymore. I thought this was all I'd ever wanted, but now...everybody acts like this is no big deal, like it's something that happens every day. And _I'm_ terrified. I was pretty much raised by my grandmother because my parents didn't care enough about me to...to do anything with or for me other than provide money. I don't know how to be a father, Kurt."

"That's the joy of first time parenthood, Blaine. Nobody knows how to do it. You can read all the books, emulate your parents, do everything just the opposite of your parents, whatever. But in the end, everybody's equal. It's a level playing field." Trying to make Blaine smile, he added, "And _you_ should be proud of me for making a sports reference."

It worked and Blaine said, "I am. I love you so much, Kurt. I'm just so scared that I'll screw up."

"Me too," Kurt admitted quietly. Kurt had known that Blaine's parents hadn't been around much, but he didn't realize it had been that way Blaine's entire life. While Blaine was in the shower later, Kurt sat in the middle of the bed, stroking his belly. "I'm going to find you a name, sweetie." He grabbed his phone from the nightstand and dialed.

"Everything okay, B?" Sebastian asked worriedly. Blaine never called him this late.

Kurt pulled the phone away to look at it and sighed. He had grabbed the wrong one. "It's Kurt, actually. I must have left my phone in the living room. Sorry. Everything's fine. I just have a quick question for you."

"Sure. What do you need?"

"What was Blaine's grandmother's name?" he asked quietly.

Sebastian paused, curious. "Why?"

"You'll find out later. What was it?"

"Lilah," Sebastian answered.

Kurt smiled and repeated the name in his mind. "Thanks. I'll talk to you later," he said before hanging up. He placed Blaine's phone back on the nightstand and went in search of his. When he found it, he lowered himself onto the couch and winced as another pain shot through him. As it subsided, he opened the notepad on his phone. He was afraid if he used pen and paper, Blaine might find it and it would ruin the surprise. He sat typing out names on his phone, trying to narrow it down. _Lilah Alexandra Smythe. Lilah Alexis Smythe. Lilah Alexis Hummel._ He dared to type out _Lilah Alexis Anderson_.

He was startled and quickly locked his screen when Blaine leaned in and kissed his cheek, asking, "What are you up to?"

"Nothing," Kurt said quickly. "Just thinking." Blaine walked around the couch to join Kurt and sat sideways facing him. "Feeling better?"

Blaine nodded. "You always know just what to say. And that shower felt amazing." He leaned his head on the back of the couch and smiled at Kurt. "What about you? You doing okay?"

"Fine."

He sat up again. "Kurt, I know something's up. I know that she's due any day and I also know that you've been having contractions. What I don't know is why you're hiding it."

Kurt shrugged. "I'm not hiding it, per se. I just haven't brought it to your attention. They're not really regular yet and they're not unbearable. The last was about," he looked at the clock, then back to Blaine, "ten minutes ago and the previous one was about half an hour before. I promise I'll let you know when it's time."

Blaine gave in with a sigh. "Okay. Ready for bed?"

As he stood, Kurt reached out for him. "A little help?" he pouted, causing Blaine to laugh.

"Are you telling me you can't get up on your own now?" He pulled Kurt up so that they were nose to nose. "That I'll never believe."

"Oh, no. I _can_, I just choose not to. You shouldn't make fun of me or I won't put out anymore."

Blaine snorted. Kurt turned to walk away, but it looked more like he was waddling, causing Blaine's breath to catch. It was obvious that the baby had dropped and that she would make an appearance sooner than he thought he was ready for. He quickly shook the thought and hurried after Kurt. He caught up with him and pressed himself against Kurt's back, kissing the side of his neck. "If you do that, we both lose."

"We don't want that," Kurt purred. He turned in Blaine's arms and said, "Take me to bed or lose me forever."

Blaine's eyes sparkled. "Another lame movie quote? Have you been hanging out with Coop again?"

"You're pushing it, mister." Both laughed and Kurt peeled his shirt off. Between kisses, Blaine pushed his pajama pants down before doing the same with Kurt's. They lay down on the bed facing one another, exchanging sweet kisses for a few minutes. Blaine ran a hand over the swell of Kurt's belly before tweaking his nipple, causing Kurt to moan. He continued his assault on Kurt's lips. "I'm ready," Kurt panted. Blaine helped Kurt roll to his other side and scooted up behind him, placing kisses on his neck and back before reaching for the lube. He took his time stretching Kurt before slowly sliding inside.

"God, Kurt. Feels so good." Kurt let out a hum of agreement, moving with Blaine. Blaine ran his hands all over Kurt's body. "I love you," he mumbled over and over.

"Love you," Kurt breathed. He reached back and threaded his fingers through Blaine's hair, holding him close. "I can't..." he trailed off with a groan. "I need more. Please, Blaine."

Blaine picked up the pace and snaked his hand down to stroke Kurt. "I've got you, babe. Let go." Kurt threw his head back and cried out in pleasure as Blaine milked every drop from him, his thrusts becoming erratic before his hips finally stilled. They lay there panting and trying to catch their breath for several minutes and Kurt intertwined their fingers.

Just as Blaine started to pull out, Kurt let out a hiss. His hand tightened around Blaine's and Blaine could hear him whispering to himself. After a few seconds he glanced at the clock and said, "Thirty-five minutes apart, forty seconds long."

"O...okay. Um, what do we need to do?"

Kurt laughed softly. "Nothing yet. Although I would like to get a shower so that I'm somewhat presentable when we go to the hospital." He wasn't sure how he was able to remain so calm, but after Blaine's outburst earlier in the day, he was glad. He didn't know if Blaine would be able to and knew that one of them would have to be.

The warm water of the shower felt so good on his aching back. He stood, leaning his head against the cool tile and letting the warm water cascade down his back. After a while, Kurt turned the water off and grabbed his towel, running it over his face. He suddenly felt a pop followed by liquid flowing down his legs.

Taking a deep breath, Kurt willed himself to stay calm. He had read about this and he had discussed it with his doctor, so he knew what he needed to do next. He finished drying off and pulled out the bag he had stashed after his last visit with Dr. Thompson. He flushed a little as he fumbled with the maxi pad, embarrassed, but knowing that it would be better, and more comfortable, than having a wet spot on his pants.

When he emerged from the bathroom, Blaine flashed him a smile. His smile disappeared when he saw Kurt pale and lean heavily against the wall. "What's wrong?" Blaine rushed to Kurt's side.

"Hurts," Kurt whimpered, counting in his head as he breathed through the contraction.

Blaine looked at the clock. "Seventeen minutes."

Kurt looked up when it was over. "Forty seconds again. That one was the worst so far. Guess it won't be like the painless labor stories we've read about, huh?" he joked.

Over the next several hours, Kurt's contractions came closer together and became longer and more intense. "Should we start making phone calls?" Blaine asked quietly. Kurt nodded. "I don't have Carole's number. I forgot to get it from you."

"My phone should be on the coffee table," he said.

Blaine headed into the living room, leaving Kurt lounging on the bed. He picked up the phone and swiped aside the lock screen, freezing when he saw the list Kurt had been making. He dropped onto the couch in shock, questions flying through his mind. How did Kurt know? Why would he choose to name his daughter after the woman who raised Blaine? His eyes came to rest on the last entry. Kurt thought about giving his daughter Blaine's last name?

Blaine stood up and headed back to the bedroom. He held out the phone and Kurt looked up. When he saw that the names were still on the screen, he said, "I can explain..."

"I don't know how, or why, you chose that name," he said without emotion. Kurt looked apprehensive, unsettled by Blaine's reaction. Suddenly Blaine's eyes filled with tears and he sank down beside Kurt.

"Blaine? I can come up with a different name if it bothers you. There's still time. Please, talk to me."

"It's perfect," Blaine sobbed. "Nobody's ever done anything like this before."

Kurt was still unsure so he proceeded slowly. "So...you're okay with it?" Blaine nodded furiously and smiled at Kurt. "Good. I still haven't decided on her last name yet, obviously."

Blaine nodded and sniffled as he began to calm down. "I noticed. I'm honored that you thought about my last name." Kurt smiled. "Seems like it's easier for kids and parents to have the same last name. She'll be with you almost all the time, so she should be a Hummel."

"I'm just afraid that the Smythes will be upset if I don't give her their last name."

"They'll get over it. You're giving her a name that's been passed through generations of their family. I think that will mean more than a last name. Especially since last names tend to travel with boys rather than girls."

Kurt closed his eyes and there was a hitch in his breathing. "Forty-eight, forty-nine," Blaine heard him mumble before letting out a sigh. Kurt looked up at him and smiled. "Not much longer. That one was six. They've been pretty steady."

Blaine moved so that he was leaning against the headboard and pulled Kurt into his side. "I'm sorry about all the freak outs today. You'd think I was the one battling hormones," he laughed.

After a few minutes, Kurt's eyes went wide and he said, "Oh my God. Oh my God."

"Another contraction? Already?" Blaine jumped and asked.

"No, no. It's...you're not...oh my God."

Blaine suddenly caught on to where Kurt's mind had drifted. "No!" he assured. "I'm not pregnant, I promise."

"Are you sure? Did you take a test?"

"I just had a full physical not two weeks ago and I'm sure they would have told me considering that's one of the tests they do." Kurt sighed with relief. "Are you ready to make those calls now?"

Kurt looked at the time and shrugged. "It's three in the morning. And it's not like we're rushing to the hospital yet."

"No, but do you really want to be making phone calls while we're rushing to the hospital?" Blaine reasoned. "Who do you want to call first?"

Kurt yawned, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Carole is probably at work, so at least we won't be waking her."

Blaine nodded and dialed. Carole answered, "Good timing, Kurt. I just went on break."

"Hi, Carole. Oh! Hold on a sec," Blaine said. She could hear him mumbling words of comfort and encouragement to Kurt. "Sorry about that. The contractions are about six minutes apart now so we decided to start making calls."

"Oh good," she squealed. "Maybe by the time you get here my shift will be over. I know you have other calls to make so I'll let you go. Give my love to Kurt."

The next call was to Sebastian. "Hey, Uncle Bas," Blaine said when the call went to voicemail. "Kurt's in labor now. We're not headed to the hospital yet. I'll shoot you a text when we decide it's time."

Before he could make another call, the next contraction hit. "God, Kurt. They're really close now. Should we go?" Kurt nodded reluctantly. He didn't want to leave the comfort of the apartment, but knew it wouldn't be long now.

Blaine grabbed Kurt's bag and helped him to the car. He returned to the apartment for the infant seat that they would need to bring the baby home. When he got back to the car, Kurt was talking to someone on the phone. "Yeah. No, we're heading there now. I'm sure it'll be a while. You don't have to do that. O...okay. Yeah, we'll see you there." Kurt sighed as he hung up just as Blaine got the seat strapped in and got into the driver's seat.

"Everything okay?"

Kurt shrugged. "I'm exhausted and I just want to stay here. The Smythes are going to meet us there. I tried to tell them it could be a while."

Blaine took Kurt's hand and kissed it. "Promise me something?" Kurt nodded. "If you want left alone, you'll let me know? I'll come up with something to get them out."

Kurt smiled and sighed. "I can definitely do that."

* * *

Everything seemed to be a blur when they arrived at the hospital. They got Kurt into a room and into a gown. They checked his progress and reported that he was only six centimeters dilated. "Told them it would be a while," Kurt grumbled. The nurse told him that the doctor would be along shortly, but that he was free to get some sleep in the meantime. "Like that's going to happen," he mumbled after she was gone.

The Smythes showed up a few minutes later. "Kurt, how are you?"

"I'm tired, irritable, and uncomfortable," he answered honestly. "And I'm only at six centimeters."

"It will fly by," Katherine assured, but Jim didn't look convinced. When the next contraction started, Katherine fawned over Kurt.

Kurt sent a look to Blaine when it ended, silently pleading for help. "If you don't mind, the nurse suggested Kurt get some sleep. I think it would be easier if there weren't so many people around. If you want to go home, we can call you when it's time."

"Nonsense, we'll stay," Katherine insisted, smoothing Kurt's hair.

Jim took her by the elbow. "We should go to the waiting room, honey. I think you're making Kurt uncomfortable." Blaine and Kurt both smiled in thanks. He nodded and led his wife from the room.

Kurt had almost managed to fall asleep when Carole arrived. Blaine stood to greet her, making Kurt snuffle a little. "Shh, just sleep," he soothed. "Hi," he whispered as Carole hugged him.

She led him out into the hallway. "How's it going?"

"When we got here, they checked him and he was six centimeters. They told him to get some rest and call if he needs anything. His contractions have been more uncomfortable than painful, so I guess that's good for him. Oh, and the Smythes were here, probably still are. It seemed to stress him out having them in there so Jim talked Katherine into heading for the waiting room."

Carole smiled. "Good. He needs his rest. I'll see if I can keep them occupied so he can get some sleep. Let me know if you need me."

Blaine nodded and gave her another hug. "Thank you." He walked back into Kurt's room, closing the door as quietly as he could and realized that Kurt was finally asleep. He sighed in relief and relaxed in the chair next to Kurt's bed.

Kurt awoke to an intense pain and groaned, causing Blaine to wake up. He pushed the button to call the nurse. She came in to check on him and her eyebrows raised. "Looks like you're ready. Let me go get the doctor."

Kurt frowned. "What time is it?"

Blaine checked and his eyes widened. "It's six. Have you been asleep this whole time?" Kurt nodded.

The doctor came in a few minutes later. "How are we doing?"

Kurt tried to shift in the bed. "It hurts. And I feel like I need to push. Is that normal?"

"Well, Danielle said that you're fully dilated, so let's see what we've got." She checked and said, "Looks like you boys are about to have a baby." She called the nurses in and got everything set up and ready for the birth. "If you feel the need to push, go ahead."

Blaine stood beside Kurt, holding his hand and giving words of encouragement. After about forty-five minutes, Kurt couldn't hold in his tears anymore. "This sucks," he cried. "She should be out by now."

Blaine smoothed his sweaty hair. "This stuff takes time, Kurt. You're doing great. Just keep going, babe."

Kurt shook his head. "I don't think I can. I'm so tired."

Dr. Thompson said, "If you need to rest, that's fine. You're doing great. Relax, take a few deep breaths and we'll try again when you're ready."

Kurt flopped back on the bed and sobbed. "Shh, you're okay. You're okay," Blaine murmured. While Kurt was lying back, they checked the baby's vitals. Blaine saw the doctor and one of the nurses talking quietly. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, everything is fine. Baby's heartbeat is good so we'll keep trying. She doesn't seem to be under too much stress, so we'll work at Dad's pace." She gave a sympathetic smile and asked, "Doing okay, Dad?"

Kurt took a shuddery breath and asked, "Can I try a different position?"

"Absolutely. Whatever makes you comfortable. We'll keep an eye on Baby to make sure it doesn't cause her any added stress."

Kurt nodded and they helped him shift around until he felt comfortable enough to continue. Kurt grunted and said, "I need to push again."

Dr. Thompson nodded and said, "Go ahead." She coached him through a few more contractions and it was another half-hour before there appeared to be any progress.

"I wish I'd done this at home," Kurt whined, his head dropping to his chest.

"Come on, Kurt. You're almost there." Kurt let out another grunt and pushed again. "You're doing great, Kurt. Ease up, ease up. Here comes her head. You feel that? Do you want to watch? I can get a mirror so you can see."

Kurt shook his head. "Weak stomach," he mumbled.

"What about you, Blaine?"

Blaine looked at Kurt to make sure it was okay with him. Kurt shrugged. "Yeah," he said, moving so that he could see what was happening. Blaine's eyes widened as Kurt pushed once more. "There she is, Kurt. Oh my God. Here she comes." Dr. Thompson eased the baby's head out, telling Kurt to wait as she cleared out the baby's mouth and nose and checked to make sure the cord wasn't around the baby's neck. "Kurt, she's beautiful," Blaine sighed.

"Okay, Kurt, you're ready. One more big push and you can meet your daughter. That's it, keep going, keep going." Suddenly Kurt felt immense relief and slumped forward, breathing hard. "Good job, Kurt. You did great."

Blaine helped Kurt ease onto his back and they shared a sweet kiss. "She's here, Kurt. She's here and she's beautiful." So much happened so quickly in the next few minutes and before they knew it, the baby was placed on Kurt's chest. "Hi, sweetie. Hello," Blaine said softly.

Despite the ache that remained from the birth, Kurt couldn't stop smiling. "Hi, baby girl. I'm your daddy. Oh, Blaine, she's perfect."

"She is," Blaine agreed.

"Hi, little Lilah. My precious little girl," Kurt cooed, tracing a finger down the side of the baby's face. She let out a tiny mewl and Kurt cradled her closer. "Shh, you're okay, little lamb."

After some bonding time, Lilah was weighed and measured before being returned to her father. "Seven pounds, three ounces," Dr. Thompson announced. "She's doing great. I'll let you get back to bonding. Call the nurses if you need anything." They nodded, not taking their eyes from the beautiful little girl in Kurt's arms.

Lilah let out another little cry. "Do you want Daddy B to hold you, sweetie? Let's let him have a turn, huh?" He gently handed her over to Blaine.

Blaine sat in awe of the tiny creature in his arms. "Hi," he whispered as she gazed up at him. "I'm...I'm your other daddy. It's so nice to finally meet you."

After several minutes, Kurt said, "We should let them know."

"Let who know what?" Blaine joked. "I don't want to share."

Kurt pouted and held out his arms. "Gimme. Go let them know they can come meet the newest addition."

Blaine laughed and kissed Kurt, placing Lilah in his arms and heading for the waiting room. When he got there he had a smile plastered on his face. Everyone was there and they all jumped up when he walked in. "She's here," he announced. "Seven pounds, three ounces and the prettiest baby girl in the world." Everyone tried to talk at once so he held up a hand to stop them. "While I wasn't ready to share, Kurt said that you're welcome to come meet her." Everyone followed Blaine to Kurt's room. "Good thing they have nice sized rooms. The whole family is here."

Kurt laughed softly. "Bring them in." When all five were inside the room, Kurt said, "I'd like you all to meet Lilah Alexis Hummel. Lilah, this is your family." Each got a chance to hold her for a few minutes before Kurt yawned and Blaine asked everyone to leave so that Kurt could rest. "You can visit when we get settled in at home, I promise."

* * *

Blaine gave a sleepy smile when he opened the door. "Hey, Uncle Bas. Here to see your favorite niece?" He led Sebastian to the living room where Kurt was sitting on the couch, feeding two week old Lilah.

Sebastian spoke softly as he looked directly at Kurt. "I hate to ruin your perfect family moment, but I thought you should know. Alex is being released next week. He hasn't said anything about coming after you or anything, so I wouldn't worry too much. And you have a protection order, right? So if he tries anything, he'll end up right back where he is now."

Kurt's face showed no fear, only anger. "What do you mean, he hasn't said anything? You still talk to him?"

"Kurt, he's my brother. Besides, I told you I'd keep tabs on him and make sure nothing happened to you or the baby." The room was quiet. "He signed the papers to give up rights to her, so that has to mean something. I really don't think you have anything to worry about."

"No offense," Kurt scoffed, "but you didn't think he was a danger in the first place." He stood and gently handed the baby to Blaine. He spoke softly so he wouldn't disturb his daughter. "You may have faith in him, but I lost it months ago. I need a minute," he told Blaine. He pressed a gentle kiss to Lilah's head before leaving the room.

Sebastian spoke quickly, trying to reassure Blaine. "I'm not going to let anything happen to either of them."

Blaine nodded. "I know." He looked down at the baby in his arms and smiled as she looked up at him, still sucking away at her bottle. "Look at her, Bas. Not a care in the world. I wish with all my heart that it could be that way for Kurt."

"I made a vow, B, and I'm not going to break it. This, right here, what the three of you have? That's the way this whole thing was supposed to be. And I'm not going to let my brother take that away from you."

Blaine frowned suddenly. "I'm gonna go check on Kurt. Can you..." he trailed off, handing Lilah to Sebastian and hurrying to find Kurt.

Sebastian smiled as he held his niece. He slowly moved to sit in one of the chairs, cradling her close. She finished her bottle, so he sat it on the coffee table and moved her to his shoulder, patting and rubbing her back gently.

Blaine found Kurt in the bedroom. When Kurt looked up at him, eyes red from crying, Blaine wrapped him in his arms. "It's okay. It's going to be okay. He won't hurt you ever again."

"It's not me I'm worried about," Kurt sniffled. "I can protect myself now. What if she's visiting her grandparents and he's there? What then? Who will protect her?"

"If it bothers you that much, then we won't let her go," Blaine tried to reason.

Kurt shook his head. "I can't keep her from them. They're her family. And I know, logically, that they would do everything in their power to keep her safe. But I can't help but wonder, you know, what if?"

"There are always going to be what ifs, Kurt. Look at our first night home with her. You sat there watching her sleep for hours before I got you to go to bed. You said, 'What if I don't hear her when she wakes up?' But we both know how that turned out."

Kurt laughed. "She does have a good set of lungs."

"I know I was scared that I wouldn't know how to do this, but you got me through that. Now let me help you through this. I can't promise you that nothing is ever going to happen to our baby girl. We're going to keep her safe the best we can, but there's always that chance that something will be out of our control. You said we can't keep her from her family. Well, we can't keep her away from life either."

They sat quietly for a few minutes until they heard a wail from the living room. They both hurried out, but stopped in their tracks as they watched Sebastian. "Shh, it's okay," he soothed. They saw him make a face. "Um, Uncle Sebastian doesn't really do diapers, sweetie." She let out another wail. "Okay, okay. I guess I can try." He took a deep breath and turned to head for the nursery when he noticed Kurt and Blaine. "Oh good. She needs a fresh diaper." He started to hand her over.

"By all means, go right ahead," Kurt said with a smirk. Blaine hid a laugh behind his hand. "Everything is by the changing table. Blaine can walk you through it if you need."

Blaine looked shocked. "You act like I haven't been on diaper duty the last two weeks."

"From the look on his face, I'd say this one was bound to be yours anyway."

Blaine gave Kurt a playful glare. "There's going to come a day when I'm not here to take one for the team." He led Sebastian into the nursery and showed him what he would need and coached him through his first diaper change.

"Wow, B. You're, like, a pro at this already."

"I should be," he said, scooping Lilah up and kissing her cheek. "He makes me take all the stinky ones." Kurt just looked at him. "I mean, parenting classes...you should _totally_ take them," he said sarcastically, sticking his tongue out at Kurt and causing Sebastian to laugh.

* * *

A few days later Blaine was passed out on the couch, exhausted from lack of sleep. Lilah lay sleeping in her bassinet a few feet away. Just an hour before, he had practically forced Kurt to go to bed and get some sleep, promising that he would take care of the baby. Soon Lilah let out a little squeak, wanting attention. She snuffled a little when neither of her daddies responded right away and let out tiny cry.

Kurt jumped out of bed at the sound and rushed into the nursery, expecting to find her there. When she wasn't there, he panicked until he heard another soft sound coming from the living room. He rushed in and scooped her out of her bassinet. "Daddy's got you. I was so scared when you weren't in your bed," he cooed as he cradled her close. "I forgot you were out here with Daddy B." He looked down at the couch to find Blaine still sound asleep and smiled softly. "And he thought _I_ was too exhausted to take care of you. Why don't we let him sleep for a bit?" He carried her back with him to the bedroom.

Blaine woke with a start some time later. He got up to check on Lilah when he heard Kurt's voice coming from their bedroom. He sighed and headed that way. When he got there he leaned against the doorway, watching. Kurt sat in the middle of the bed, singing to Lilah. "Hey," Blaine said softly so he wouldn't startle Kurt.

Kurt looked up and smiled. "Hi. We were having some fun while you napped." Blaine sat beside Kurt and leaned in for a kiss. "Look who finally woke up, Lilah. Say hi to Daddy B."

Blaine laughed. "Is this what we're doing? Daddy K and Daddy B?"

"No," Kurt replied. "I figure when it comes time, she can call us whatever she wants. I just think it's cute."

"_You're_ cute," Blaine replied with another kiss. "You'll confuse her if you change it up, though, won't you?"

Kurt shrugged. "I don't think so. I think we should give her choices and let her decide. What do you think, Lilah?" Lilah responded with a wide yawn. Kurt chuckled softly. "Yeah. I think you're right. Daddy and I are boring."

Blaine took Lilah and put her in her crib, making sure the baby monitor was on before returning to the bedroom. "You know, she'll probably be out for an hour or two." He eyed Kurt hungrily. "I know we can't really do anything too physical, but we can make out if you're up for it."

"Definitely," Kurt grinned, laughing as Blaine practically climbed on top of him, covering him in kisses. "Get off," he cried between giggles.

"That's the goal," Blaine teased, moving so that he was beside Kurt. He sighed and said, "I love you."

"Love you, too," Kurt smiled, leaning in for a soft kiss. "You know what I love most about you? This. That we can just...be. We can lie here and talk or just sit in silence and it doesn't matter." Blaine smiled warmly as Kurt continued. "And I love that you love Lilah like your own." They shared another soft kiss before lying silently, gazing into one another's eyes.

* * *

The days leading up to Alex's release had Kurt shaken. He tried his best not to worry since he had no control over any of it, but it wasn't working very well. Blaine did everything he could to keep Kurt calm, but it seemed every little noise made Kurt jump. "I thought I was okay," Kurt said apologetically.

"You don't have to explain anything to me. I get it." They sat quietly, watching Lilah wriggle around as she watched the mobile they had hung over her bassinet.

"She keeps me going, you know? When I'm holding her or singing to her or just...engrossed in her, it's like nothing else exists and I'm not scared."

There was a knock on the door then, causing Kurt to jump and let out a yelp. "Shh, you're okay. I'll be right back." Blaine opened the door and his heart plummeted. There stood Sebastian, looking like Blaine had never seen him, tears streaming down his face and slumped in on himself. "What's wrong?" he asked as he ushered him in.

"Where's Kurt? I can't do this twice," he rasped. Blaine led him into the living room and they sat.

"Sebastian? What happened? What's wrong?" Kurt asked worriedly.

"He's gone," Sebastian sobbed. "He was supposed to be released tomorrow, but he got jumped and..." he trailed off with another choked sob.

Kurt felt both relief and sadness fill him. He rushed to Sebastian's side and embraced him. "I'm sorry. Oh, honey." Sebastian tangled his hands in Kurt's shirt, holding on tightly and crying loudly. "Shh, shh," Kurt found himself crying along with his friend. Lilah started to fuss, causing Sebastian to hold impossibly tighter and sob even harder.

Blaine scooped up the baby to soothe her. When she seemed to be settled, he moved to kneel next to Kurt and Sebastian, wanting to offer his support, but unsure how other than being close. "I'm so sorry, Bas."

Eventually, Sebastian's sobs slowed. "Do you want me to get you anything?" Kurt asked quietly. "Something to eat or drink, maybe?"

Sebastian nodded. "Just some water, maybe."

Kurt kissed his forehead and nodded. "Be right back." He stood and reached down to take Lilah from Blaine. He took his time, giving Blaine a chance to comfort their friend. Kurt's mind was reeling. Alex hadn't always been such a bad guy. When they'd started dating, he was sweet. He would send Kurt flowers for no reason, take him out on romantic dates, kiss him silly.

The abuse hadn't started until about six months in. Alex had been jealous of his friendship with Blaine. To Kurt, having Blaine around was like breathing. It wasn't something he was able to give up. He knew now why that was. Blaine was his other half. It was like a piece of him had been missing before he met Blaine that day. It had just taken him a while, and a failed relationship, to realize.

Somewhere deep inside, a part of Kurt had hoped that Alex would change, that he would want to see his daughter and would go back to the way he was early in their relationship. He knew now that it would never happen. Looking down at Lilah, Kurt wished that somehow Alex would have had a chance to see her.

When Kurt returned to the living room, Sebastian seemed much calmer than a few minutes before and Blaine had moved to sit on the couch. He handed the glass of water to Sebastian and Sebastian thanked him quietly. Sebastian took a few sips and sat the glass aside. "Can I hold her?"

Kurt eyed him for a few seconds before nodding. "Yeah. Absolutely."

He took the baby and said, "She looks like him. Except her eyes. They're...they're darker, like yours." Kurt smiled and nodded. "Please don't hate me," he whispered.

"Why would we hate you?" Kurt asked carefully.

"I showed him pictures," he admitted. "I knew it was likely he'd never see her. That he didn't want to be a father. I had to show him what he was missing out on."

Blaine started to speak, but Kurt held up a hand to stop him. "That's okay, Sebastian. I'm glad." Blaine looked at Kurt like he was crazy. "We'll talk later," Kurt mumbled to him.

They spent a few hours with Sebastian, trying to comfort him. When he left, Blaine confronted Kurt. "Care to tell me why, exactly, you told Bas you're glad he showed Alex pictures of Lilah?" Kurt told Blaine what he had been thinking about earlier, about how he knew that Alex wasn't a bad person and how he had hoped that someday Alex could have seen his daughter. "Oh, Kurt," Blaine said softly, suddenly understanding.

* * *

Kurt and Blaine went to the funeral to show their respect and to support the family. Blaine could see that Kurt needed a moment, so he took Lilah for a walk. Kurt stood at the casket for a moment, head bowed as he spoke. "I loved you, Alex. I'm sorry that things didn't work. And I'm sorry that you couldn't face your demons and work things out while we were together." He stopped and smiled. "But I guess then I wouldn't have realized how much I need Blaine. So I want to thank you, too. Not just for making me realize that, but also for Lilah. She's perfect and I wish you could have met her. I'll make sure she knows you," he vowed. "The good side of you. Goodbye, Alex." He turned to walk away and a single tear slipped down his cheek.

When Blaine saw Kurt, he said, "There he is, Lilah. There's Daddy." In that moment, Kurt knew what he wanted to do. He had been thinking about it for a few weeks, but he knew now was the time. He pulled Blaine into his arms and smiled down at their little girl.

Kurt gazed deeply into Blaine's eyes. "You're my best friend, the man of my dreams, and my soul mate. You've done more for me than I ever could have asked. You made me believe in love just when I had started to give up hope. You've given my daughter a daddy and a protector. I am eternally grateful for you and, while you already make me the happiest man alive, it would only make me that much happier if you would allow me the privilege of becoming your husband."

Blaine stepped back slightly, stunned. "Kurt," he breathed, shaking his head in awe. Kurt misunderstood the gesture and tears formed in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. "That was so much better than the speech I had prepared. Here I was, trying to plan a grand romantic proposal. I was going to take you to dinner and maybe dancing. And out of the blue, you outdid anything I could _ever _have imagined. I would be honored to be your husband."

Kurt smacked him playfully on the chest as the tears began to fall. "You scared me. Don't ever do that again."

"As if I could ever tell you no." They shared a passionate kiss before being interrupted by a tiny mewl from Lilah. They laughed and Blaine said, "What do you think about your daddies getting married?" Lilah let out a soft contented sigh. "I think she likes it."

Kurt smiled as he held the two loves of his life. Blaine asked what he was thinking. "Feels like home," he murmured, capturing Blaine's lips once more.


End file.
